Thiruvananthapuram, Friday 30 July 2010: Signature archives, an ambitious project of the Department of Archives to preserve the signatures and handwriting of important people in the State, the country and the world, was inaugurated here.

O.N.V. Kurup, poet, who was the chief guest, and Minister for Cultural Affairs M.A. Baby signed on separate sheets of paper to officially launch the programme.

Baby said the project should not be confined to the collection of signatures and handwriting of important people. People who do yeoman service silently in society overcoming several odds should also be covered. He said a brief sketch about the person and his work should be included along with the signature and handwriting.

O.N.V. said the signature was a symbol of the mindscape and it gained importance with every passing day. He said the Father of Nation tried to affix his signature in the language of the place he visited and Rabindranath Tagore ensured that he signed all