Conservation of Heritage through Legislation

India is currently facing one of the major problems of illegal export of its art objects
and antiquities in the global market. India has introduced strict laws to curb the illicit export
of its archaeological and cultural heritage. However, the implementation of these laws
remains a major challenge, due to the poverty that promotes looting, and lack of adequate
security and lack of funds for maintenance.
Mechanisms to protect this rich heritage do exist, however. The Antiquities and Art
Treasures Act, 1972 (amended in 1976) banned the export of any sort of archaeological
objects and imposed stricter vigilance on individual ownership. All archaeological objects
and sites were granted state ownership. Since then, there has also been a concentrated effort
to retrieve stolen Indian antiquities.
Yet, just years after the Antiquities Act, nearly 3,000 thefts of antiquities were reported
between 1977 and 1979. More than 50,000 art objects have been smuggled out of India till 1989,
according to an estimate by UNESCO. But officials agree that an exact count remains
impossible.