Mumbai University to digitise sociology records dating to 1919

University of Mumbai’s Sociology Department has begun a year-long effort to preserve its early academic records in digital form.

The project, led by department head Prof. Manisha Rao, began in July 2026. Titled *“Survey and Digitisation of the Legacy of the Discipline of Sociology in India: Records of the University of Mumbai”*, it will survey, catalogue and digitise historical teaching resources, institutional papers and documents related to the department’s establishment.

The project was selected under the British Library’s Endangered Archives Programme, in collaboration with Arcadia. The department says it was India’s first postgraduate department dedicated to teaching sociology. Scottish urban planner and sociologist Sir Patrick Geddes was its first university professor and head.

The digitised collection is intended to be accessible beyond the university, offering researchers material on sociological thought, teaching methods, academic traditions and institutional practice over more than a century. The project is scheduled to run for 12 months.