Parliament Question: Digital Preservation of Artefacts and Monuments

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CULTURE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2321 TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.08.2025.

DIGITAL PRESERVATION OF ARTEFACTS AND MONUMENTS

2321. SHRI TEJASVI SURYA:

Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state:

(a) the number of monuments, artefacts, and cultural sites digitally preserved by the Government, particularly in the State of Karnataka, and the manner in which these digital assets are being utilised for educational and tourism purposes;

(b) the extent of collaboration between the Union Government and State Governments, including Karnataka, to digitally map undocumented or lesser-known heritage sites, and the key challenges faced in updating and maintaining official heritage databases;

(c) Whether the Government has a policy to make digital reconstruction of India’s heritage accessible to global audience and the steps taken to safeguard copyright. Provence, or recovery claims related to Indian antiquities abroad; and

(d) the comprehensive status of culture heritage preservation initiatives in Karnataka, including funding, intuitional support and digitisation projects undertaken during the last two years and the current year? ANSWER MINISTER OF CULTURE AND TOURISM (SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)

(a) The total number of unprotected Monuments and Antiquities documented by the National Mission on Monuments and Antiquities (NMMA) as on date stands as follows at

Karnataka: Antiquities-904 and Built heritage & Sites-312. The above data’s are uploaded

on the NMMA website: http://nmma.nic.in for public access. Beside ASI Bangalore, Dhardwad and Hampi Circles are digitally mapped like topographical survey and photogrammetric survey of 177 Centrally Protected Monuments.

(b) NMMA is conducting workshops in various regions to provide training programs to universities, colleges, NGOs, and other interested organizations, in coordination with Circle Offices. Efforts are also being made to revive the State-Level Implementation Committee (SLIC) in each state including Karnataka to speed up the documentation work.

(c) Government takes necessary action to repatriate the antiquities sent abroad. Whenever, any illegally exported antiquity of Indian origin is reported on foreign soil, necessary action are initiated through Indian Missions for their retrieval. Archaeological Survey of India has retrieved 655 number antiquities since 1976.(d) ASI Bangalore, Dhardwad and Hampi Circles are maintain the cultural heritage preservation of central protected monuments for the above expenditure is made in the last 2 years and the current year is as follows:

S. No. Circle Name Expenditure in Expenditure in Expenditure in 2023-2024 2024-2025 2025-2026 1 Banglore 173,349,537 50,4999,895 47,734,574 2 Dharwad 23,175,393 94,058,99 4,412,665 3 Hampi 12,24,98,772 65,195,861 34,749,671 Total 31,90,23,702 57,96,01,655 8,68,96,910