To continue this sentiment, I am have just returned from a research trip in Chennai where I, along with other international Sanskrit scholars, visited Prof Dash at the NCC offices and enjoyed a wonderful tour of the premises (not to mention a sneak preview at upcoming volumes!).  The whole enterprise is very impressive and, as you say Dominik, it is an invaluable resource.

During our visit Prof Dash and his team mentioned that they were very eager to receive as much scholarly feedback as possible as they begin to think about revisions.  Furthermore, he told us he was in negotiations with the central administration at the University of Madras regarding  support for further work and that it would be extremely useful for his purposes to get as much evidence as possible regarding how valuable this project to scholars around the world.

If those of you who use the NCC feel so inclined to write an official (paper) letter of support and encouragement I know this would be greatly appreciated and hugely helpful to him.  In order for the project to continue, to begin digitisation efforts, and to revise earlier volumes in the light of many new catalogues that they have, these letters will  help strengthen their case for the university to allocate more financial and human resources and support.

His details are:

Prof. Siniruddha Dash

H.O.D. & Director, NCC Project

Dept. of Sanskrit

University of Madras

Chennai-600005

Siniruddha Dash [siniruddhad@gmail.com]

I'm about to post my letter!

With best wishes,

Clemency

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From: INDOLOGY [indology-bounces@list.indology.info] on behalf of Dominik Wujastyk [wujastyk@gmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, 21 January 2014 12:17 a.m.
To: Indology
Subject: [INDOLOGY] New Catalogus Catalogorum - new volumes

I

​'m thrilled to have received in today's post my order for the latest seven volumes of the NCC (Madras, 2013).  The indefatigable team at the U. of Madras, especially the editors Prof. Dr S. Revathty, Prof. Dr S. Padmanabhan, Assist. Prof. Dr P. Narasimhan, and Assist. Prof. Dr C. Murugan, under the dynamic directorship of Prof. Dr Siniruddha Dash, have now published volumes 26-32, covering Lakāra-Śaṅkarācāryotpatti.  Volume 28 includes an updated bibliography of the catalogues extracted for the NCC and abbreviations for the wide range of secondary sources cited. 

I consider the NCC to be amongst the most important projects of indology in the 20th and 21st centuries (so far), up there with the BORI Mahabharata and the Deccan College Dictionary.  It is what might be called a Big Humanities project (like CERN is a big science project).  International scholarship owes a great deal to Prof. Dash and his team, Prof. Dr R. Thandavan (VC of the U. of Madras, who strongly supports the project), the IGNCA, NAMAMI and the UGC.  Prof. Dash in particular has managed to reinvigorate a project that had languished in the 1990s, and was in danger of collapsing altogether. 

And now the end is in sight, at least for the printed product.  Supporters of the project are exciting about the future plans at Madras after the printed volumes are completed.  Revisions, suppletions, digital spin-offs, and other products from this astounding database of Indian scholars and literary history can be expected to open new vistas for 21st century scholarship on Indian culture.

Best,
Dominik Wujastyk