**Executive Summary**
This report details the infrastructure maintenance, conservation efforts, and staffing status of the Asiatic Society, Kolkata, as presented to the Lok Sabha on March 30, 2026. It highlights the ongoing structural restoration by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), significant progress in manuscript digitization under the Gyan Bharatam Mission, and critical personnel vacancies in conservation and cataloguing departments.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Infrastructure and Conservation**
* **Building Maintenance:** The heritage building is under the jurisdiction of the ASI, which handles all necessary repairs and restorations.
* **Climate Control:** The Society’s museum utilizes specialized temperature and humidity control systems to protect manuscripts, rare books, and artefacts.
* **Conservation Achievements:** Since the 2022 establishment of the Manuscript Conservation Centre, the Society has completed preventive conservation of 35,624 folios and curative conservation of 4,596 folios.
**Staffing and Human Resources**
* **Significant Vacancies:** There is a high vacancy rate in technical roles. Notably, all seven sanctioned positions for Conservation Assistants and both Senior Cataloguer positions remain vacant.
* **Contractual Support:** Two Conservation Assistants are currently engaged on a temporary basis to mitigate staffing gaps.
* **Functional Strength:** Only one of four sanctioned Assistant Librarian positions is filled, and the positions of Conservation Officer and Research Officer are currently vacant.
**Digitization and Academic Output**
* **Digitization Progress:** The Society has digitized 11,528 manuscripts (572,890 pages).
* **Gyan Bharatam Mission:** Functioning as a Cluster Centre, the Society has scanned an additional 2,033 manuscripts (146,099 pages) as of March 23, 2026.
* **Research and Activities:** Academic output remains consistent, though research projects declined from 39 in 2020-21 to 18 in 2024-25.
**Safety and Preparedness**
* **Disaster Management:** The Society maintains Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and fire safety systems.
* **Coordination:** Regular liaison is maintained with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and West Bengal state emergency services.
**Impact Analysis**
**Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)**
**Impact**
The ASI is the primary body responsible for the structural integrity and restoration of the Asiatic Society’s heritage infrastructure.
**Action Required**
Continue to undertake necessary repair and restoration steps as the building remains under its direct jurisdiction.
**Asiatic Society Management**
**Impact**
The organization is facing a critical shortage of permanent technical staff, particularly in conservation, cataloguing, and research.
**Action Required**
Address high vacancy levels in sanctioned posts and continue supervising regular cataloguing and conservation checks conducted by the Curator and existing officials.
**Ministry of Culture**
**Impact**
The Ministry provides the essential Grant-in-aid that supports the Society’s core functions and oversees the Gyan Bharatam Mission.
**Action Required**
Periodically review grant requirements in relation to the scale of the collections and monitor the Society’s performance as a designated Cluster Centre for manuscript scanning.
Key Entities Referenced
Asiatic Society, Kolkata: The central institution whose heritage building, museum collections, and academic activities are the focus of the infrastructure and restoration report.
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI): The agency with jurisdiction over the Society's heritage building, responsible for its repair and restoration efforts.
Gyan Bharatam Mission: A Ministry initiative under which the Asiatic Society serves as a Cluster Centre for manuscript scanning and digitization.
Manuscript Conservation Centre: A specialized facility established within the Society for the preventive and curative conservation of rare manuscripts.
Gajendra Singh Shekhawat: The Union Minister for Culture and Tourism who provided the official status update on the Society’s infrastructure and staffing in the Lok Sabha.
Ministry of Culture
INFRASTRUCTURE AND STRUCTURAL
DETERIORATION AT ASIATIC SOCIETY
Posted On: 30 MAR 2026 1:09PM by PIB Delhi
Asiatic Society’s heritage building is under the jurisdiction of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)
and necessary steps for its repair and restoration are undertaken through ASI. Adequate temperature and
humidity control system are in place in Society’s Museum where manuscripts, rare books and artefacts
are housed.
The Asiatic Society, Kolkata conducts regular checks on the conditions of the rare manuscripts and
artefacts in its collection. Such checks are done by the cataloguers and other officials on regular
intervals under the overall supervision of the Curator. The Society has its own Conservation and
Binding Section to carry out the conservation and binding work. Since establishing of Manuscript
Conservation Centre in 2022, the preventive conservation of 35624 folios of the Manuscripts and
curative conservation of 4596 folios of the rare manuscript have been done by the Society. Cataloguing
is a regular work of the Museum and Archive Section.
The details of sanctioned strength, working strength and vacancies, category-wise of librarians,
archivists, conservators and research staff, along with the number of personnel engaged on contractual
basis:
Sl. No Post Sanctioned Strength Working Strength Vacancies
1 Librarian 1 1 0
2 Assistant 4 1 3
Librarian
3 Curator 1 1 0
4 Senior Cataloguer 2 0 2
5 Cataloguer 4 2 2
6 Conservation 1 0 1
Officer
7 Conservation 7 0 7
Assistant8 Research Officer 1 0 1
Two Conservation Assistants are working on temporary basis.
The society has digitized 11,528 manuscripts comprising 5,72,890 pages. Further, under the Gyan
Bharatam Mission of Ministry, the Society has been designated as a Cluster Centre for Manuscript
scanning work. As of 23.03.2026, a total of 2033 manuscripts comprising of 1,46,099 pages have been
scanned under this initiative.
The Grant-in-aid provided by this Ministry to Asiatic Society broadly supports its core functions, and the
requirements are reviewed from time to time in view of the scale and preservation needs of its
collections.
The Society undertakes academic activities, including seminars, lectures, workshops, exhibitions,
publications and fellowship programmes to strengthen academic output and expand collaborations with
national and international institutions. The details of various Academic Activities undertaken by the
organization are as under: -
Financial No of Research Projects No of Research No of Academic Activities
Year Fellows
2020-21 39 20 42
2021-22 28 13 42
2022-23 21 09 47
2023-24 21 14 54
2024-25 18 12 28
The Society has basic disaster preparedness measures in place, including fire safety system and standard
operating procedures. Close liaison is maintained with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF),
Fire and Emergency Services Department, Government of West Bengal and the Local Police Authorities.
This information was given by Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in
a written reply in Lok Sabha today
***
M Annadurai
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