Parliament Question: Progress in publishing excavation report

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CULTURE RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-3077 ANSWERED ON- 19.03.2026 PROGRESS IN PUBLISHING EXCAVATION REPORT 3077 SHRI R. GIRIRAJAN:

Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state:-

(a) whether it is a fact that there is an inordinate delay in publishing the excavation report on archaeological excavations done at Keezhadi in Tamil Nadu and if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;

(b) whether the Central Government is aware of the findings by the State Department of Archaeology, Tamil Nadu that have yielded outstanding results through scientific dating methods as far as the chronology of iron age in India is concerned and if so, the details therof; and

(c) the steps taken by the Central Government to expedite the publication of Keezhadi excavation report? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF CULTURE AND TOURISM (SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)

(a) The submission, review, and publication of excavation reports follow an interconnected workflow, with each stage progressing upon the completion of the previous one. Timelines may naturally vary depending on the nature and complexity of the material, but efforts are made to ensure that the entire process proceeds without undue delay.

(b) State Department of Archaeology, Government of Tamil Nadu has published some dates in a booklet published by them. No detailed technical report is submitted on the excavations conducted since 2018.

(c) Report on excavation conducted at Keezhadi between 2014 and 2016 was vetted by two subject experts and also been examined by an internal committee of experts. Certain deficiencies and short comings noticed in the report have been communicated to the author of the report for making necessary corrections.

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