Parliament Question: Repatriation of Ancient Indian Cultural Heritage

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5522 ANSWERED ON 27/03/2026 REPATRIATION OF ANCIENT INDIAN CULTURAL HERITAGE †5522. SHRI TARIQ ANWAR Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:- (a) whether the Government is aware of the efforts for the identification and repatriation of ancient Indian cultural heritage (such as ancient statues, manuscripts and artifacts taken abroad) from the entire State of Bihar including the Mithila region; (b) if so, the concrete action taken by the Government at the diplomatic, legal and administrative levels with the Governments of the concerned countries to ensure the safe return of the above artifacts specifically from museums in Europe and America; and (c) whether the Government has established any special coordination mechanism with the State Government, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and international organizations in this regard, if so, the details thereof? 1ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS (SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH) (a & b) The identification of Indian antiquities, including from Bihar, is carried out from time to time for their repatriation. A total of 655 antiquities have been repatriated since 1976. Out of these, 642 have been retrieved since 2014. (c) The Government undertakes the process of repatriation in co- ordination with all relevant stakeholders including State Governments, Indian Embassies/Missions abroad under Ministry of External Affairs and the Archaeological Survey of India under Ministry of Culture. ***** 2