DELISTING
CENTRALLY PROTECTED MONUMENTS - ART & CULTURE
News: ASI to delist 18 centrally protected
monuments, as they went 'missing’
What's
in the news?
●
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has
decided to declassify 18 monuments from protected status. This is because the
national significance of monuments have diminished.
Key
takeaways:
●
The list of protected monuments can grow
longer or shorter with new listings and delistings.
●
ASI
currently has 3,693 monuments under its purview,
which will fall to 3,675 once the current delisting exercise is completed in
the next few weeks.
●
This is the first such large-scale
delisting exercise in several decades.
Centrally
Protected Monuments:
●
The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological
Sites and Remains Act (AMASR Act) 1958
regulates the preservation of monuments and archaeological sites of national
importance.
●
It protects monuments and sites that are more than 100 years old. This includes
temples, cemeteries, inscriptions, tombs, forts, palaces, step-wells, rock-cut
caves and even objects like cannons and mile pillars (“kos minars”) that may be
of historical significance.
●
Section
35 of the AMASR Act:
○
It says that if the Central Government is of opinion that any ancient and historical
monument or archaeological site and remains declared to be of national
important, has ceased to be of national importance, it may, by notification in
the Official Gazette, declare that the ancient and historical monument or
archaeological site and remains, as the case may be, has ceased to be of
national importance for the purposes of [the AMASR] Act.
Delisting
of Monuments:
●
It refers to the removal of certain
specific monuments and archaeological sites from the list of protected sites
maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
Impact
of Delisting:
●
When a monument is delisted, it will not fall under the purview of the ASI for
conservation, protection and maintenance.
●
The monument will not receive special
attention or protection from the ASI.
●
Construction-related activities that were
previously restricted around the protected site can now be carried out.
Process
of Delisting:
1.
Gazette Notification:
●
It involves a decision by the Central
Government, which issues a gazette notification declaring that the monument has
ceased to be of national importance.
2.
Public Feedback:
●
A gazette notification invites public
objections or suggestions within 2 months regarding the delisting of these
monuments.
Go
back to basics:
●
India has a total of 3,693 Centrally
Protected Monuments or Sites.
●
Uttar
Pradesh having the largest number in the country at 743,
followed by Tamil Nadu which has 412.
Untraceable
Monuments:
●
It means that the physical location of the
monument cannot be determined or verified.
Further
Reference - ASI