CULTURAL
PROPERTY AGREEMENT - ART & CULTURE
News:
India, US work on pact
for quick return of stolen antiquities
What's
in the news?
●
India and the US are about to sign the
Cultural Property Agreement (CPA) agreement that will simplify the process for
returning stolen antiquities.
Key
takeaways:
●
Over the past few years, India has placed
a greater emphasis on the repatriation of its cultural heritage.
●
According to official data, over 400
antiques have been returned to India since 2014.
Features
of Cultural Property Agreement:
1.
Repatriation for objects:
●
Once the CPA is completed, the US will
automatically offer the object for repatriation, negating the need for India to
provide proof that it is its own.
2.
Import Restrictions:
●
It imposes import restrictions that stop looted and stolen cultural property
from entering the US while encouraging the legal sharing of such objects
for scientific, cultural, and educational purposes.
3.
Preventing trafficking of art objects:
●
Under the agreement, the US will intercept
smuggled goods at the border and return them expeditiously.
Current
procedure of repatriation:
1.
Confirmation by paperwork:
●
The provenance of an object of Indian
origin must be confirmed through paperwork like FIRs and photographic evidence
once it is discovered in a foreign nation.
●
Provenance includes the list of all owners
from the time the object left its maker’s possession to the time it was
acquired by the current owner.
2.
Approval by ASI:
●
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI),
which is in charge of protecting all historic antiquities in the host country,
must provide its approval before the artifacts can be brought home.
Archaeological
Survey of India (ASI):
●
ASI under the Ministry of Culture, is the premier organization for the
archaeological research and protection of the cultural heritage of the nation.
●
Maintenance of ancient monuments and
archaeological sites and remains of national importance is the prime concern of
the ASI.
●
It regulates
all archaeological activities in the country as per the provisions of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites
and Remains Act, 1958.