Parliament Question: Conservation and Modernisation of the Museum and Art Gallery, Chandigarh

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CULTURE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 1300 TO BE ANSWERED ON 27/07/2026 CONSERVATION AND MODERNISATION OF THE MUSEUM AND ART GALLERY, CHANDIGARH 1300. SHRI MANISH TEWARI: Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government has taken cognizance of the deteriorating condition of the Government Museum and Art Gallery, located in Sector 10, Chandigarh, including concerns relating to roof leakages, inadequate climate control, poor maintenance and deterioration of display infrastructure; (b) whether the Government has received any proposal from the Chandigarh Administration for the renovation, redevelopment or conservation of the museum complex, and if so, the details thereof, along with the estimated cost, present status and timeline for implementation; (c) whether any financial assistance has been provided by the Government for the conservation, restoration and modernisation of the museum during the last five years, year- wise; (d) whether the Government has undertaken any assessment of the preservation requirements of the museum's collections and the adequacy of existing infrastructure for their conservation; and (e) the details of the steps taken or proposed to upgrade the museum into a world-class cultural institution? ANSWER MINISTER OF CULTURE AND TOURISM (GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT) (a) Yes. The Government Museum and Art Gallery, Chandigarh, has taken cognizance of the deterioration in certain portions of the museum building, including roof leakages during the monsoon, aging climate control systems, deterioration of display Infrastructure, and the need for conservation of this Grade-1 Heritage building. Periodic repair and maintenance works are regularly undertaken. The Civil Wing of the Engineering Department has initiated waterproofing of the building, which is scheduled for completion soon. (b) Yes. The Chandigarh Administration has submitted a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the comprehensive upgradation, conservation, and modernization of the Government Museumand Art Gallery under the Museum Grant Scheme of the Ministry of Culture. The DPR was submitted to the Ministry of Culture on 05.02.2026, with an estimated project cost of 30.33 crore. (c) No. (d) Yes. The preservation requirements of the museum's collections and the adequacy of existing infrastructure for their conservation are assessed on a regular basis by the museum authorities. The need for modernizing the conservation laboratories, HVAC systems, reserve collection storage, and exhibition infrastructure has been Incorporated into the DPR submitted to the Ministry of Culture. (e) The following steps have been proposed in the DPR to upgrade the Museum into a world- class cultural institution: 1. Building Conservation 2. Interior Upgradation and Exhibition Display 3. Fire Safety and Risk Management 4. Security & CCTV Surveillance Systems 5. Display and General Lighting (Including rewiring) 6. Installation of a 15-Passenger Elevator 7. HVAC/Air Conditioning (with 24-hour power backup and generators) 8. Collection Storage (including compactors, cataloguing, digitization via JATAN/TMS, and publication of catalogues) 9. Conservation of Collections 10. Digital and Multimedia Enhancements (Including AR/VR, holographic displays, and an audio app) 11. Conservation Laboratory Equipment Upgradation *****