UNDERSTANDING HERITAGE PPT WRITE UP

GROUP 3

Topic- Indian attempts- All acts, laws, conventions and bodies to

identify and conserve heritage. How successful have such attempts
been? Discuss with two examples.
Group Members-
1. Anshita Tripathi- 08
2. Anshika Bhatt- 1133
3. Arya Mishra- 1082
4. Saniya Sarosh- 744
5. Shivani Jamloki- 1072
6. Sumedha Das- 559

INTRODUCTION
-Anshita Tripathi; Roll no. 08

India has a rich culture and rich heritage to boast of, which features a storehouse of
archaeological assets and mind-blowing monuments.India has one of the largest geo-political
expanses and one of the greatest volume and diversity in heritage. This vast heritage repository
of India is recognized globally as a significant part of its unique cultural identity. Even beyond
India, a number of countries across the world house some of the best specimens of our country's
heritage in their museums often narrating the glory of Indian culture along with the tales of
colonial legacy; while others in south east Asia have extraordinary monuments standing as
testimony to the spread of Indian culture. Unlike some western nations, India’s Cultural Heritage
shows continuity since centuries where age-old traditions continue to be practiced.
Besides our presentation today, the topic of heritage conservation in India is already in the
news headlines, can you guess why? - In the recent past, The 13th century Sun Temple at
Konark (Odisha), one of our world heritage monuments, entered into controversy over
allegations that the stone carvings on the outer surface of the temple are being replaced with
plain blocks of stones causing irreplaceable loss to the uniqueness of the temple. It is alleged
that the stones used in restoration do not match the quality of the original stone blocks, which
are still available nearby. UNESCO guidelines on restoration of World Heritage Sites mandate
that when an original stone carving is lost, it cannot be replicated. The understanding is that
as monuments deteriorate, if one keeps on replicating then nothing original will remain.
Although the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has denied the allegations, the issue
highlights the need for preservation of cultural heritage.
The legacy that India stands for is steadily being eroded as a result of insensitive urbanization
and modernization. The potential of India’s unsurmountable heritage remains untapped until now
– simply because it exists in myriad forms, shapes and experiences across various states and no
Single Overarching Vision for Heritage of India has guided its protection, preservation,
promotion till date. Currently, India’s Heritage is underfinanced, and a Comprehensive Vision for
Heritage Budget and Planning with innovative means of financing is essential. Internationally,
Heritage Conservation is an established practice. Formal systems that recognise conservation of
heritage both tangible and intangible as an interdisciplinary effort, do not exist in India. With
one of the largest stocks of heritage structures in the world, lack of adequate quality and quantity
of manpower is a serious bottleneck in India in addressing the task of understanding and
protecting heritage. More importantly, in a country with strong spiritual roots, it is important to
go beyond merely identifying and repairing the dilapidated heritage structures, and
understanding their true significance, it is also important that we create a national knowledge
pool by initiating concerted research, education and outreach activities in safety of heritage
coordinated and organized through a single national level institute, that can provide the much
needed nationally-coordinated technical forum for exchange of ideas and training of stakeholder
groups.

INDIAN CONVENTIONS RELATED TO CONSERVATION OF HERITAGE

- Saniya Sarosh; Roll no. 744

In recent years, UNESCO, ICOM and ICOMS have become the pivotal centers for promoting
and propagating the need for preservation of cultural and natural heritage. These world bodies,
the UNESCO in particular, are bringing out an array of documents of conventions and
recommendations containing useful guidelines for safeguarding the invaluable heritage available
throughout the world. India, too, being a responsible country has been a signatory in many of
these conventions and has also framed some of its own conventions through its pan Indian bodies
and organizations. Some of the UN Conventions that have been ratified by India are:

1. Hague Convention 1954- It is the first and the most comprehensive multilateral treaty
dedicated exclusively to the protection of cultural heritage in times of peace as well as
during an armed conflict. It aims to protect cultural property of any kind regardless of
their origin or ownership.
2. Paris Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and preventing the Illicit Import,
Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property 1970- It urges States Parties
to take measures to prohibit and prevent the illicit trafficking of cultural property. It
 provides a common framework for the States Parties on the measures to be taken to
prohibit and prevent the import, export and transfer of cultural property.
3. Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural
Expressions. Paris, 20 October 2005- The adoption of this convention was a milestone
in international cultural policy. Through this historic agreement, the global community
formally recognised the dual nature, both cultural and economic, of contemporary
cultural expressions produced by artists and cultural professionals. As one of the earliest
states to ratify the convention, India has displayed great commitment towards matters
related to intangible heritage and has actively encouraged other State Parties to ratify it.
With 14 inscriptions on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of
Humanity, India also ranks high in the listing of intangible cultural heritage. After the
inscription of Durga Puja in 2021, India submitted the nomination for Garba of Gujarat to
be discussed in 2023.
4. Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. Paris, 17
October 2003-

Article 1 defines the purposes of this convention which are as follows:

(a) to safeguard the intangible cultural heritage;

(b) to ensure respect for the intangible cultural heritage of the communities, groups and
individuals concerned;

(c) to raise awareness at the local, national and international levels of the importance of
the intangible cultural heritage, and of ensuring mutual appreciation thereof.

(d) to provide for international cooperation and assistance.

5. Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage.
Paris, 16 November 1972- India recognises the duty of ensuring the identification,
protection, conservation, presentation and transmission to future generations of the
cultural and natural heritage referred to in Articles 1 and 2 and situated on its territory,
belongs primarily to that State. It will do all it can to this end, to the utmost of its own
resources and, where appropriate, with any international assistance and cooperation, in
particular, financial, artistic, scientific and technical, which it may be able to obtain.

India has been elected as a member of the Intergovernmental Committee of

UNESCO’s 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural
Heritage for the 2022-2026 cycle. Some of the core functions of the Intergovernmental
Committee include promoting the objectives of the Convention, providing guidance on
best practices, and making recommendations on measures for the safeguarding of
intangible cultural heritage. In the past, India has served two terms as a member of the
 Intergovernmental Committee of this Convention. One from 2006 to 2010 and the other
from 2014 to 2018. For its 2022-2026 term, India has formulated a clear vision for the
protection and promotion of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity. Some of the
priority areas that India will focus upon include fostering community participation,
strengthening international cooperation through intangible heritage, promoting academic
research on intangible cultural heritage, and aligning the work of the Convention with the
UN Sustainable Development Goals. This vision was also shared with the other State
Parties of the Convention prior to the elections.

CHALLENGES:

- Saniya Sarosh; Roll no. 744

The adoption of these conventions has been a great initiative but its implementation has not been
free from challenges. Unlike the World Heritage Convention, wherein the mandate for
implementation of the international norms was smoothly adopted at the national level by the
Archaeological Survey of India, there was no “ready-made” agency with the mandate and
capacities for implementing the ICH Conventions. Also, unlike the field of built heritage which
is located within a single ministry, the Ministry of Culture, ICH consists of multiple disciplines
that are scattered across diverse departments and ministries of the Government of India. For
example, handicrafts are part of the Ministry of Textiles, while the craft of the Thatheras is
located within the Department of Industries of the state government. A satisfactory operational
structure to override the various bureaucratic boundaries and allow the suitable implementation
of the internationally accepted norms, is yet to evolve.

ACTS CONCERNING INDIAN HERITAGE

- Sumedha Das; Roll no.

In India, the first act of conscious heritage conservation through legislative attempts could be
considered as the “Bengal Regulation (XIX)” passed in 1810, during British rule, and the
“Madras Regulation (VII)” passed in 1817. These regulations vested the government with the
power to intervene whenever the public buildings were under threat of misuse. Then in 1863,
Act XX was passed which authorized the government to “prevent injury to and preserve
buildings remarkable for their antiquity or for their historical or architectural value”. The
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) was established in 1861 to initiate legal provision to
protect the historical structures all over India.

1. The Ancient Monuments Preservation Act, 1904 - It provided effective preservation

of ancient monuments and objects of archaeological, historic, or artistic interest,for the
exercise of control over traffic in antiquities and over excavation in certain areas. By virtue of
this act,in an unprecedented instance, 20 historic structures in Delhi were ordered to be
protected, in 1905.

2. The Indian Treasure Trove Act,1878 - It was originally a Central Legislation but later
the power was vested with the State governments. The treasure troves discovered accidentally
which largely contain the coins, medals and rarely jewelry fall under the purview of the ITT
Act, 1878. The Act defines treasure as anything of any value hidden in the soil or anything
affixed thereto. Section 4 of the act lays down some regulations about procedures of informing
the Collector about discovery of the treasure. Since the treasures are of immense archaeological
and historical significance, they are never distributed among the finder / owner or auctioned but
they are acquired as laid down in the provisions of the Act. Under section 16 of the Act, the
Collector, may decide to acquire the treasure on behalf of the Government, or any specified
portion thereof by payment of a specific payment to the entitled persons.

3. The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites Remains Act, 1958 - In 1953, after
the merger of the Princely States (1948-49) with rest of India, ASI undertook the additional
responsibility of maintaining monuments and sites of national importance which were formerly
looked after by the erstwhile Princely States. A new Act called the Ancient Monuments and
Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958 (henceforth AMASR Act, 1958), was passed
which extends to the whole of India and is still operational after its amendment in 2010. The
AMASR Act 1958 prohibits the construction within the protected area as specified in the
sub-section (1) of section 19 without the permission of the Central Government. Thua,
according to sub-section(2) of section 19,the Government is empowered to remove the
structures that are built in contravention of sub-section (1) of section 19 and remove the same
vide sub-section (2) of section 19 and initiate the legal proceedings as contained in the
sub-section (1) (IV) of section 30. A person, under this subsection shall be punishable with
imprisonment which may extend to three months, or with fine which may extend to five
thousand rupees, or with both.

● Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites Remains Rules, 1959 - In

order to impose restrictions on tourist/visitor activities, an elaborate
arrangement is made in the provisions of the AMASR Act, 1958 and Rules
1959. According to Rule (1)7, no protected monument shall be used for the
purpose of holding any meeting, reception party, conference or entertainment
except in accordance with a permission in writing granted by the Central
Government. Such restrictions, however, are not applicable to any activity
which is held in pursuance of a recognized religious usage or custom as
specified in Rule (2) 7. Furthermore, Rule 8 lays down a number of other
constraints which when contravened shall be punished with a fine of 500/-.
● Amendment Validation of AMASRA, 2010 - Earlier, the Act allowed
repair and renovation of existing buildings but the amendment disallowed
 reconstruction of existing buildings. The NMA is the competent authority to
issue the recommendation for carrying out any repair/renovation in any
property located in the prohibited area (100 mtr. In all directions from any
centrally protected monument / site), whereas the Competent Authority
declared by the Central Government in consultation with the respective State
Government after issuing the notification, is empowered to issue NOC for
carrying out any repair/renovation in any property located in the regulated area
(100 mtr. - 300 mtr. in all directions from any centrally protected
monument/site). Provision of heritage bye-laws have been another aspect.

4. The Antiquities and Art Treasures Act, 1972 - The Antiquities and Art Treasures Act
(henceforth AAT Act), 1972 was enacted to regulate the export trade in antiquities and art
treasures and to provide for the prevention and smuggling of, and fraudulent dealings in,
antiquities. The Act has been enforced since April, 1976. The AAT Act, 1972 deals exclusively
with movable cultural heritage of two different categories viz antiquity and art treasure. The
compulsory registration of the notified categories of antiquities has been given priority in the
Act. The sub-section 3 (a) of section 14 stipulates that every owner of any antiquity specified in
the notification shall register such antiquity before the registering officer within three months
from the date of issue of notification failure of which is liable to be punished by imprisonment of
6 months/confiscation of the said antiquity. The export of antiquities and art treasures is
regulated as contained in the Act by Section 3 of the Act.Thus, no antiquity or art treasure can be
taken out of the country without any valid permit issued by the Director General, ASI. The
Director General is the competent authority to issue such permits as provided in the Rule 3 of the
Antiquities and Art Treasure Rules, 1973. If case of breach of the rule,under the provisions of the
customs Act, 1962(52 of 1962), the culprit could be punishable with imprisonment for a term
which shall not be less than six months but which may extend to three years and with fine under
sub-section (1) of section 25 of the Act.

5. Wildlife Preservation Act,1972 - This Act provides for the protection of the country’s
wild animals, birds, and plant species, in order to ensure environmental and ecological
security. The Act was last amended in the year 2006. Article 48A, added to the Constitution
of India by the 42nd amendment of 1976, directs the State to protect and improve the
environment and safeguard wildlife and forests. The Act provides for the formation of
wildlife advisory boards, wildlife wardens, specifies their powers and duties, etc.It helped
India become a party to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild
Fauna and Flora (CITES)(Washington convention). The Act prohibited the hunting of
endangered species.Scheduled animals are prohibited from being traded as per the Act’s
provisions.The Act provides for licenses for the sale, transfer, and possession of some wildlife
species.It provides for the establishment of wildlife sanctuaries, national parks, etc.Its
provisions paved the way for the formation of the Central Zoo Authority, established in
1992. The Act created six schedules which gave varying degrees of protection to classes of
flora and fauna. Schedule I and Schedule II (Part II) grant absolute protection, and offenses
under these schedules attract the maximum penalties.The National Board for Wildlife was
constituted as a statutory organization under the provisions of this Act.The 5 protected areas
under the Act are - sanctuaries, national parks, conservation and community reserves, tiger
reserves.The amended Wildlife act doesn’t allow any commercial exploitation of forest
produce in both wildlife sanctuaries and national parks, and local communities are allowed to
collect forest produce only for their bona-fide requirements.

6. State Heritage conservation acts - Several Indian states with rich architectural and built
heritage have enacted local legislations and state heritage laws to protect their monuments
and preserve history. The Heritage Commission Act, 2001 of West Bengal, the Ancient and
Historical Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Preservation Act, 1956 of Uttar
Pradesh provides for preservation of heritage sites. Some other examples include Tamil Nadu
Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1966; Salar Jung Museum
Act, 1961; Victoria Memorial Act, 1903; Rajasthan Monuments, Archaeological Sites and
Antiquities Act, 1961; Orissa Ancient Monuments and Preservation Act, 1956; Hampi World
Heritage Area Management Authority Act, 2002; Jammu and Kashmir Heritage Conservation
and Preservation Act, 2010; etc.

The Delivery of Books (Public Libraries) Act, 1952 provides for delivery of books to the
National library and Public Libraries. It was amended in 1965 and named as the Delivery of
Books & Newspaper (Public Libraries) Amendment Act, 1956.

The Public Records Act, 1993 empowers the Central Government in the Department of
Culture “to permanently preserve public records which are of enduring value.”

LAWS

- Sumedha Das; Roll no. 559

The Constitution of India has divided the jurisdiction over the monuments, cultural heritage, and
archaeological sites as follows:

● Union: Ancient and Historical Monuments and Archaeological sites and remains,
declared by Parliament, by law to be of national importance.

● State: Ancient and Historical Monuments other than those declared by Parliament to
be of national importance.
 ● Concurrent: Besides the above, both the Union and States have concurrent
jurisdiction over archaeological sites and remains other than those declared by law
and Parliament to be of national importance

● Article 253 of the Constitution of India, enables the Parliament to legislate for the
Article 253 of the Constitution of India, enables the Parliament to legislate for the
implementation of any treaty/agreement/convention/decision concurred on with other
nationalities/international conferences/associations/bodies. Any such legislation is
applicable for an item in the State List of the Constitution of India. Implementation of
any treaty/agreement/convention/decision concurred on with other
nationalities/international conferences/associations/bodies. Any such legislation is
applicable for an item in the State List of the Constitution of India.

● Fundamental Right: Under Article 29 of the Indian Constitution - Any section of

the citizens residing in the territory of India or any part thereof having a distinct
language, script or culture of its own has the right to conserve the same.

● Fundamental Duties: It is the Fundamental Duty of every citizen of India (under

Article 51A) to value and preserve the rich heritage of the country’s composite
culture.

● DPSP: Under Article 49 of the Indian Constitution (Directive Principles of State

Policy), the State shall protect every monument or place of artistic or historic interest
(declared by or under law made by Parliament to be of national importance) from
spoliation, disfigurement, destruction, removal, disposal or export.

Heritage-rich states create local laws

The heritage of the country is governed by the law of the land. These are ascertained by
constitutional provisions; laws or acts created by the Parliament or a State Assembly; and
subordinate legislation created through By-laws, Rules, Regulations under certain acts.

In independent India’s history, several Public Interest Litigations (PILs) have also been filed in
the Apex Court to highlight and resolve an issue of public interest and not of a personally
motivated interest. Apart from the law, it’s the duty of every citizen of the country to protect and
preserve the centuries-old rich heritage of the nation.

Government of India has amended the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites & Remains
Act 1958 in the year 2010 to include certain newer sub-sections. One of the major amendments
is the provision of Heritage By-laws for Prohibited and Regulated Area for each centrally
protected monument/site. In 2011, through a Gazette notification dated 23rd August 2011 Govt.
of India has notified Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Framing of
Heritage Bye-laws and other functions of the Competent Authority) Rules 2011. The rules
provide certain parameters which shall be considered for the preparation of the Heritage
By-laws.

Provisions of Heritage Bye-laws in AMASR Act 2010.

Nineteen draft Heritage Bye-Laws are under consideration of NMA for finalization before these
are laid before the parliament.

● 20 E (1) - The competent authority, in consultation with Indian National Trust for Arts
and Cultural Heritage, being a trust registered under the Indian Trusts Act, 1882 (2 of
1882) or such other expert heritage bodies as may be notified by the Central
Government, shall prepare heritage bye-laws in respect of each protected monuments
and protected area.

● 20 E (2) - The heritage bye-laws referred to in sub-section (1) shall, in addition to

such matters as may be prescribed, include matters relating to heritage controls such a
elevation, facades, drainage systems, roads and service infrastructure (including
electric poles, water and sewer pipelines)

● 20 E (3) - The Central Government shall, by rules, specify the manner of preparation
of detailed site plans in respect of each protected area or protected monument or
prohibited area or regulated area, the time within which such heritage bye-laws shall
be prepared and particulars to be included in each such heritage bye-laws. .

● 20 E (4) - The competent authority for the purpose of preparation of detailed site plans
and heritage by-laws may appoint as many experts or consultants as it may deem fit.

● 20 E (5) - A copy of each of the heritage bye-laws prepared under sub-section (1)
shall be forwarded to the Authority for its approval.

● 20 E (6) - A copy of the heritage by-laws as approved by the Authority under

sub-section 5 shall be laid before each House of Parliament.

● 20 E (7) - Each heritage bye-laws shall be made available by the competent authority
to the public, by exhibiting the same on its website and also in such other manner as it
may deem fit, immediately after laying the same before each House of Parliament.

The Indian Bodies and Organizations which are meant to Identify and
Preserve the Heritage of the country.

- Shivani Jamloki; Roll no. 1072

ASI

The Archaeological Survey of India is the premier organization for the archaeological research
and protection of the cultural heritage of the nation.

Talking about its brief history, ASI was Established in 1861 by the British colonial government.
Its predecessor, the Asiatic Society of Bengal, founded in 1784, primarily focused on the textual
sources of India’s history and culture, Nevertheless, it laid down precedents for the ASI. After
1947, the ASI was formally elevated to the status of a premier organization under the Ministry of
Culture.

Thus, It has a legacy of over a century and a half of exploration, identification, and notification
of heritage sites in the country. Maintenance of ancient monuments and archaeological sites
and remains of national importance is the prime concern of the ASI. Besides, it regulates all
archaeological activities in the country per the provisions of the Ancient Monuments and
Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958, and governs the Antiquities and Art Treasure Act,
of 1972. Under the provisions of the AMASR Act of 1958, the ASI administers more than 3650
ancient monuments and archaeological sites. The organization has a large workforce of trained
archaeologists, conservators, epigraphists, architects, and scientists for conducting archaeological
research projects through its Circles, and Museums. Furthermore, it has various branches
including the Excavation Branches, Prehistory Branch, Epigraphy Branches, Science Branch,
Horticulture Branches, Building Survey Projects, Temple Survey Projects, and Underwater
Archaeology Wing. Sir Alexander Cunningham was the first director general of ASI, and the
subsequent ones are mentioned below:

YEAR NAMES YEAR NAMES

1871-1885 Alexander 1968-1972 B. B. Lal

Cunningham

1886-1889 James Burgess 1984- 1987 M.S Nagaraja Rao

1902-1928 John Marshall 1989-1993 M. C. Joshi

1928-1931 Harold Hargreaves 1995-1997 B. P. Singh

1931-1935 Daya Ram Sahni 2001-2004 K. G. Menon

1937-1944 K. N. Dikshit 2009-2010 K. N. Srivastava

1944-1948 Mortimer Wheeler 2017-2020 Usha Sharma

1953- 1968 Amalananda Ghosh 2020- present V. Vidyawati

NMA

The National Monuments Authority (NMA) established in accordance with the AMASR Act is
responsible for the conservation and preservation of monuments and sites. It also evaluates
granting permits to applicants for construction-related activities in restricted and regulated areas.

There are several initiatives taken up by the state governments to preserve the Nation's heritage,
including various state-level departments, as the AMASR act, previously discussed, made it
obligatory for each State Government to establish a Department of Archaeology for the
protection and maintenance of ancient monuments of local importance worth protecting in their
respective States. For example, a separate Department of Archaeology was established in Delhi
Administration in 1978.

Thus, the ASI, its state counterparts, and the local urban or rural administrative bodies are all
custodians of about ten thousand monuments and archaeological sites combined, however, this
leaves out around one million sites from any means of protection or proper conservation. In such
a scenario, the work of non-governmental and advocacy groups becomes very important, so let
us look at some of the non-governmental organizations and initiatives.

INTACH

To begin with, the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) was
founded in 1984 in New Delhi with the vision to spearhead heritage awareness and conservation
in India. Within a few decades, INTACH emerged as the largest heritage-based
non-governmental organization in India and perhaps also in the world, with more than 200
chapters spread across India, 9 regional conservation centers, 10,000 volunteer members, and
employing more than 150 conservation professionals. The agency has also established its own
charter for conservation, based on its body of work across architectural, material, and natural
heritage conservation.

Headquartered in New Delhi, it operates through various divisions such as Architectural

Heritage, Natural Heritage, Intangible Cultural Heritage, Heritage Education and
Communication Services (HECS), Crafts and Community Cell, Chapters, Heritage Tourism,
Listing Cell, and Library.

There are many others like the Aga Khan Foundation for Culture, ITIHAS ( Indian Traditions
and Heritage Society), Open heritage foundation, SPIC MACAY (Society for the Promotion of
Indian Classical Music And Culture Amongst Youth), etc. are also involved in the preservation
of heritage and culture in the nation.

ATTEMPTS

- Arya Mishra; Roll no. 1082

Positive Outcome:

· India has always proudly celebrated its efforts to salvage the rich cultural heritage inherited
from ancestors.

· From added impetus on preservation of monuments to establishing world class institutes that
train our citizens on conservation strategies, the government has done a slew of initiatives to
maintain our cultural assets.

· India has been made a hub of heritage tourism. The ASI has created an online portal for
Indian Heritage Sites/ Monuments with a “must see list” that features outstanding
monuments under its protection. It also launched an e-ticketing facility that relieved ASI
personnel from dispensing tickets to concentrate on the security and maintenance of
monuments.

· 157 Artifacts and antiquities belonging to the prehistoric period have been restored when they
were handed over by the United States to India in 2021.

· A Heritage Scheme aimed at enhancing the tourism experience of travelers that visit heritage
monuments. It upgraded amenities at the sites. Public or Private sector companies called
“Monument Mitras” can put forth proposals for adopting sites.

· 24 MOUs have been signed with the Ministry of Tourism, ASI and Monument Mitras for
active collaboration in upgrading and developing amenities at heritage sites.

· The government has decided to set up ‘Indian Institute of Heritage’ at Noida to focus on
conservation of India’s rich tangible heritage. This institute will not only improve the quality
of higher education in History of Arts, Conservation, Museology, Archival Studies and
Archaeology but also provide conservation training facilities to in-service employees and
students of IIH.

· The National Cultural Fund was established by the Indian government to put in place a
funding mechanism for the arts and culture in India, distinct from the existing sources and
chains of funding through a Gazette notification published on 28th November, 1996.

· The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs launched the National Heritage City Development
and Augmentation Yojana (Hriday) scheme on 21st January,2015 to focus on ‘holistic
development of heritage cities with the aim to preserve and revitalize soul of the heritage city
to reflect the city’s unique character by encouraging aesthetically appealing, accessible,
informative and secured environment.’

· A report by NITI Ayog mentioned the following key action points to be implemented in order
to conserve heritage:
 1. Creation of a National Archaeological database and national GIS Database for
monuments and sites to be authenticated and validated with ISRO.

2. New technology like Photogrammetry and 3D laser scanning should be used for
documentation, surveys, excavation and conservation works.

3. National Policy on Conservation to be implemented and put into practice vigorously

by ASI and State Archaeology Departments.

4. Use of scientific methodologies and development of laboratories for post excavation

analysis.

5. The 202-21 budget has proposed 5 archaeological sites namely Rakhigari, Hastinapur,
Shivsagar, Dholavira and Adichanallur to be developed as iconic sites with on-site
museums.

6. Setting up of an independent World Heritage PMU with the Ministry of Culture: A

World Heritage Project Management Unit (PMU) involving World Heritage Experts,
ASI and other stakeholders needs to be set up to ensure following specific actions for
World Heritage in India.

CASE STUDY-1

- Anshika Bhatt; Roll no. 1133

ISA KHAN’S TOMB

Isa Khan’s tomb is the culmination of an architectural style used for royal tombs in Delhi during
the Sayyid and Lodhi dynasties from the early fifteenth to the early sixteenth centuries. Physical
work for the conservation commenced in January 2011 following extensive documentation,
including 3D high-definition surveying, condition assessment, archival research, and a peer
review. The studies and discussions leading up to the commencement of work revealed that the
Isa Khan Tomb complex is possibly the densest ensemble of medieval Islamic buildings in India.
The architectural significance of the ornamentation on the tomb building—the ceramic tiles,
ornamental stone finials, lattice screens, and incised lime plasterwork—sets it apart from its
predecessors. Finally, the discovery that the outer half of the tomb enclosure was sunk at least 2
meters below the inner enclosure, makes this the earliest known sunken garden in the country.
An enormous amount of work was required to remove some 325,000 cubic feet of earth from the
site in order to restore the landscape to its original level while being careful not to destroy any
archaeology. During the earth removal, terracotta toys as well as stone fragments of finials and
columns from the building were discovered. In the process of earth removal the full extent of the
arched niches of the enclosure walls has also been revealed allowing future visitors to understand
the intention of the original builders. One component of the Isa Khan Tomb project is the
replacement of missing ceramic tiles from the roof of the tomb building. Since the craft of
making ceramic tiles matching the sixteenth century versions has been lost in India, four skilled
craftsmen from Uzbekistan were invited to work alongside the AKTC (Aga Khan Trust for
Culture) team to experiment and produce tiles that match the originals. Stone carvers, masons,
plasterers, tile makers, carpenters, and gardeners have worked alongside engineers and landscape
and conservation architects to restore the glory of these sixteenth-century monuments. Removal
of inappropriate twentieth-century repairs using materials such as cement concrete have also
been undertaken as these were causing severe deterioration and disfiguring the historic character
of these elements of this World Heritage Site. However, the conservation process is not always
this smooth as visible in the next case study.

Attempts to Protect Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH)

- Arya Mishra; Roll no. 1082

· A total of 13 Intangible Cultural Heritage elements from India have been inscribed till date on
the UNESCO’s Representative list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

· The Ministry of Culture makes regular schemes as well as organizations make efforts towards
preservation, protection and promotion of intangible cultural heritage in the country.

· Some of the major organizations involved in preservation of ICH are-

● Sahitya Academi, Lalit Kala Akademi, Sangeet Natak Akademi

● Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts
● National School of Drama
● Centre for Cultural Resources and Training
● Zonal Cultural Centres
● Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya
● Anthropological Survey of India

· The Ministry of Culture has appointed Sangeet Natak Academi, an autonomous organization
under the Ministry of Culture, as nodal office for matters relating to the intangible cultural
heritage including for preparation of the nomination dossiers for the Representative List of
UNESCO.

· The SNA accordingly makes interaction with stakeholders, experts/officials etc. prior to
finalization of the dossier in respect of elements identified for the nomination.

CHALLENGES

- Arya Mishra; Roll no. 1082

Despite the bevy of laws and initiatives undertaken by the government, the efforts still seem to
be inadequate as there are multiple challenges that continue to exist and hamper these efforts.
Whenever we try to take a step forward, certain hindrances push up two steps backwards.

· India is among the countries of the world with the highest risk of natural disasters that have
put India’s built heritage at risk. Earthquakes, floods and tsunamis threaten serious damage to
monuments and other historical structures. In the Gujarat earthquake of 2001, officials
reported that 21 federally registered monuments across Kutch were destroyed. These
included temples dating back to the 8th and 9th centuries. The 123-year-old museum in the
flattened town of Bhuj was reduced to rubble.

· The national and state agencies hold a limited number of heritage structures in their structure,
but do not have initiatives to ensure their long-term safety, even though they are responsible
for safeguarding these heritage structures.

· Limited trained manpower in structural safety and limited infrastructure, particularly of

experimental and numerical facilities are possible reasons for not undertaking the necessary
research and development in structural safety.

· There is a lack of convergence between modern day engineering education and traditional
knowledge of construction materials and practices; this is a serious hindrance to preservation
of heritage.

· Financing is another reason for lack of effective implementation of heritage preservation

schemes. In India, built heritage is either funded by public or private sources. Banks and
financial institutions are not particularly keen in extending loans for the protection and
development of heritage assets as the financial viability of these projects is not easy to
establish.

· There is also a need to develop formal structures that recognise conservation of heritage
structures as an interdisciplinary effort with structural safety as one of the critical
determinants in any conservation project.

CASE STUDY-2

- Anshika Bhatt; Roll no. 1133

RAMBAGH GATE

Rambagh gate is the only surviving 19th Century gate of the walled city constructed during the
reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s. When he resided in the Summer Palace in the garden, his visit
to the Golden Temple involved a procession through the Rambagh Gate. There was an unbroken
line of sight between these two landmarks, which is now completely obscured by the
contemporary growth of the city. The Rambagh Garden is an 80-acre garden complex which did
not exist in isolation. Unfortunately, the original layout of Rambagh Garden and its historical
importance have been steadily eroded. The garden is currently protected by the ASI. The ‘open’
site of the garden was used by the British to build three clubs and the walls of the Garden were
demolished during the British period itself, however the corner pavilions on raised bastions were
retained, hence the form of the garden palace can be determined by their presence. There was a
police station located at the gate that was vacated in 2007 to allow for conservation work and
tourism related use. The CRCI (Cultural Resource Conservation Initiative) undertook the project;
its first phase was funded by the Ministry of Tourism and implemented by the Department of
Tourism, Government of Punjab. The project involved removal of the incompatible material
additions to restore its structural integrity. If sources in the department are to be believed, its
preservation work was stopped in the middle due to lack of funds from the state government. In
its current state, the Rambagh Gate is surrounded by a bazaar with a number of illegal temporary
shops. On the rampart there is a printing press alongside a government school which were both
built in the 20th century. Now, the questions related to heritage and cultural narratives were like:
should the conservation of the gate and rampart involve removal of the colonial period additions?
Does the local community even see the gate as ‘their heritage’ worthy of conservation? This
conservation project for the Rambagh Gate was revived as part of the HRIDAY programme, a
scheme which identified 12 historic Indian cities, including Amritsar, for investment.
Conservation interventions in the Rambagh Garden required the removal of the vehicular
movement to recover the garden as a pedestrian space. This was possible on one half of the
garden enclosure as the other half is occupied by the clubs. Efforts are being made to recover the
garden palace as a historical edifice to Maharaja Ranjit Singh. However, the problem is in the
recent past, the Amritsar Improvement Trust has made several interventions in Rambagh Garden
by way of large car parks and an outdoor exhibition of stuffed animals on the site without
seeking any approvals from the ASI, thus compromising the integrity of the garden. In the
absence of a shared vision and a conservation management plan for the site which recognises the
elements of value and needs of the community, the interventions of the Trust are unsympathetic
to all that is of value on this site. There remains the need for a shared vision that can be
facilitated through a platform for dialogue but the question is who should lead this? Apart from
that, the non-existence of strong and rooted traditions makes conservation problematic. The
connection to history is almost secondary because the inhabitants don’t trace a lineage of more
than three generations because of the Partition. The other major issue is related to inclusivity. An
inclusive practice of heritage management involves a reciprocal process of learning where an
area undergoing conservation does not harm an organic and vital community life around it, in
this case the bazaar with foods denoting intangible heritage surrounding the gate. When
questioned about the possibility of turning the conserved Rambagh Gate into a People’s
Museum, all people agreed to the idea of the museum as it would benefit them all. But when it
came to the contents of the museum, the people were divided on whether they want it to
represent and glorify Ranjit Singh, or whether they want it to document the history of the bazaar.
The challenge in recovering the Rambagh Garden demands creative dialogues between different
stakeholders including communities and organizations associated with it. The involvement of
local shops, craftspeople, and communities needs to be at the heart of consultation rather than
physically and culturally marginalized by the forces of an imagined aesthetic for ‘heritage
tourists’. It is, however, difficult to integrate the diversity of these voices so that the conversation
is not dominated by the short-term financial interest of the minority. Identifying and including a
broader range of voices and ensuring representation across genders, castes, and faiths is an
important next step for all work in heritage practice in Amritsar. Hence, one can see that acts,
laws and bodies do not always assure positive results as there are several other factors involved
in the making of culture and heritage and subsequently, its conservation.

CONCLUSION-

- Anshita Tripathi; Roll no. 08

The field of heritage conservation in India has been dominated by the Archaeological Survey of
India since the middle of the nineteenth century. Since the 1980s, however, private and
non-governmental bodies such as INTACH as we saw, have spurred on unprecedented private
engagement and grassroots efforts at heritage conservation. Countless sites, neighborhoods, and
historic areas have benefitted from this development, and the cadre of professionals and
advocates has expanded, along with a growing interest in community participation. Women have
always played a critical role in the field, but their involvement has also grown in recent decades.
Additionally, allied fields of archaeology, planning, landscape architecture, economic, and
community development – among others – are increasingly playing a more important role in
heritage conservation, making it truly an interdisciplinary enterprise. There is also increased
awareness among communities of what constitutes local heritage, and how they can contribute
toward protecting it. Local, state, and central governments have also taken note of these
developments, and are attempting to respond with policy changes that allow for more robust
conservation and protection frameworks.

However, there are still issues towards discovering and working out the right bearing to cultural
heritage conservation in India. Can the western way to deal with heritage conservation be applied
to the Indian context without due thought of the principal question of what should be saved in the
first case? The ongoing National Conservation Policy (ASI, 2014) strikingly takes after the
international sanctions. The first creators of the international sanctions have been wise in drafting
overall standards that are lenient and open to translation, and this must be recognized. Their
appropriateness to specific settings can be dangerous, especially on account of living heritage or
monuments. Logically, it is conceivably an ideal opportunity to outline explicit rules for the
conservation of living monuments or those that are planned for restoration. Other prominent
limitations in the system are- There is a lack of convergence between modern-day engineering
education and traditional knowledge of construction materials and practices; this is a serious
hindrance to preservation of heritage. There is a tendency of addressing only the aesthetic
aspects in the heritage conservation efforts in the private sector. Then there is widespread lack
of civic sense among domestic visitors who tend to deface historical monuments e.g. by
inscribing their names on historical monuments. Environmental pollution is no less a threat to
our tangible heritage, for e.g, The Baha'i House of Worship in Kalkaji has been slowly turning
gray, and the National Green Tribunal says it is the heavy traffic in Nehru Place which is causing
this discoloration. Despite the presence of some of the best conservation and heritage
management institutions in India, a multidisciplinary approach to practicing heritage
conservation is lacking due to lack of coordination between the center and the state. Also, local
bodies involved in urban heritage projects are often not equipped enough to handle heritage
conservation. Besides addressing these issues, we also need to focus equally on our intangible
cultural heritage and ensure devising ways and means to preserve, safeguard, maintain and
strengthen India's rich and diverse, multicultural, multi-linguistic cultural heritage so that it
remains a vibrant, dynamic and living part of community life.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

● Conservation of Heritage Buildings - A Guide by Directorate General, CPWD

● Working group report on Improving Heritage Management in India by NITI Aayog,
Government of India
● “Built Heritage” Ministry of Culture, Government of India, Available at
indiaculture.nic.in/built-heritage.
● Menon, Arun. “Heritage Conservation in India: Challenges and New Paradigms.” 9th
International Conference on Structural Analysis of Historical Constructions, 14 Oct.
2014.
● Indian Heritage Sites- A report by Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Information and
Broadcasting
● Heritage Conservation in Post-Colonial India, Approaches and Challenges- edited by
Manish Chalana and Ashima Krishna
● en.unesco.org/countries/india/events
● nma.gov.in/heritage-bye-laws