Colon Classification (first published in 1933), devised by Dr. S.R. Ranganathan (1892-1972), is de facto the national classification system of India. It brought a revolution in library classification and gave birth to a new species of classification known as the analytico-synthetic system. It is the most prevalent mode of classification in the world today. The Manual of Practical Colon Classification aims to be a guide to the sixth edition (1963) of the Colon Classification (CC). It expounds with ample illustrations every rule, major and minor, of the CC. Illustrated interpretations of the rules are among its chief features. As a self-sufficient guide, it aims to be helpful to the advanced student as well as to the beginner in understanding and correctly interpreting the rules, especially the obscure and odd ones. Since its publication in 1984 the Manual has been used as a class text in many Indian library schools. In this revised edition some minor misprints have been corrected and some new examples added. A chapter on the structure of the text of Colon Classification is another addition.
