This Content Archival Policy (CAP) describes how content published on the official website of the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) is retained online, moved to archives, and, where applicable, permanently removed. The policy is aligned with the Guidelines for Indian Government Websites (GIGW).
1. Purpose
Government websites host documents, reports, notices and other materials that are useful to citizens, researchers and stakeholders. Much of this material also has historical or regulatory value. Content cannot remain on the live website indefinitely. This policy therefore defines:
- How long each type of content remains available on the live website
- When content is moved to an online or offline archive
- When withdrawn or obsolete content may be permanently deleted (expunged)
2. Scope
This policy applies to all public content published on the ICAR-CMFRI website, including but not limited to news, events, tenders, recruitment notices, circulars, publications listings, forms, and other time-sensitive announcements.
3. General Principles
- Content is created with appropriate metadata, source information and a validity / expiry date wherever applicable.
- Content that is permanent in nature is reviewed periodically (generally every ten years, or earlier if edited or withdrawn).
- Under no circumstances is expired content displayed on the live website after its validity date, unless it has been revalidated.
- Short-lived content (such as tenders and recruitment notices) is removed from the live site once it ceases to be relevant and is retained in the archive for the period stated below.
- Content is reviewed at least two weeks before its validity date. If it remains relevant, the validity date may be extended; otherwise it is archived and no longer published on the live website.
- ICAR-CMFRI maintains online archives for a suitable period to allow retrieval of expired content for research, regulatory or legal purposes.
- Schemes, tenders, forms and recruitment notices that have been withdrawn, discontinued, or have exceeded the archival retention period may be permanently expunged.
4. Content Entry, Exit and Archival Periods
Different content types follow different entry, exit and archival rules as summarised below:
| S. No. | Content Element | Entry / Exit on Live Site | Archival / Retention |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | About Us / Organisation information | As soon as approved; remain until updated or withdrawn | Perpetual / reviewed periodically (about 10 years) |
| 2 | Acts, rules, policies and guidelines | As soon as approved; remain until superseded | Perpetual; older versions may be archived |
| 3 | Publications, reports and documents | As soon as published | Online archive for research reference; offline archive as needed |
| 4 | News / Press releases | As soon as published; exit when no longer current | Archived for 5 years from date of publishing |
| 5 | Events / What’s New | As soon as published; exit after the event or when obsolete | Archived for 3 years from date of publishing |
| 6 | Circulars / Notifications | As soon as published; exit when superseded or expired | Archived for 5 years from date of publishing |
| 7 | Tenders | Exit as soon as the tender closes or loses relevance | Archived for 5 years from date of publishing |
| 8 | Recruitment notices | Exit as soon as the process closes or loses relevance | Archived for 5 years from date of publishing |
| 9 | Announcements | Exit as soon as they lose relevance | Archived for 5 years from date of publishing |
| 10 | Forms / Services | Remain while the form/service is active | Discontinued items expunged after archival period |
| 11 | Directories / Contact details | Updated as and when required | Obsolete entries removed; current list retained |
| 12 | Photo / Video gallery | As soon as published | Reviewed periodically; archived or retained as needed |
5. Review Before Expiry
Content owners / contributors are notified before the validity date so that content can be revalidated or updated. If there is no response after a reminder, the content is archived and removed from the live website in line with this policy.
6. Access to Archived Content
Expired content that has been archived may be retrieved for academic, research, regulatory or legal purposes, subject to applicable rules. For assistance in obtaining archived material, please use the Contact / Feedback page or write to the Web Administrator.
7. Policy Review
This Archival Policy will be reviewed periodically and updated as required to remain consistent with GIGW guidelines and the operational needs of ICAR-CMFRI.
