Parliament Question: Yuge Yugeen Bharat National Museum

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CULTURE RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1470 TO BE ANSWERED ON 12.02.2026 YUGE YUGEEN BHARAT NATIONAL MUSEUM 1470. SHRI SAKET GOKHALE: Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state: (a) the original and revised deadlines for completion of ‘Yuge Yugeen Bharat National Museum’ in North and South Blocks under Central Vista redevelopment and the reasons for the delay; (b) the funds allocated, sanctioned and spent till date; (c) the details of dedicated corpus fund established for the museum’s soft infrastructure, including curatorial and research personnel; (d) the specific steps taken to mitigate risks to the existing National Museum collection during relocation of more than two lakh artefacts; and (e) whether a white paper would be released on the museum’s curatorial philosophy/ideological narrative and if so, by when? ANSWER MINISTER OF CULTURE AND TOURISM (GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT) (a) to (c) The Yuge Yugeen Bharat Museum is being developed within the North and South Blocks of the Central Vista project. As the design phase is still ongoing, the project’s budget and timeline are currently being determined. (d) For Yuge Yugeen Bharat Museum (YYBM), objects will be drawn from 06 Ministry of Culture (MoC) museums, 52 Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) site museums, repatriated artifacts and long term loans from international institutions, state-level museums, and prominent private collections.Ministry of Culture maintains a benchmarked conservation laboratory to ensure the highest standards of care for antiquities. Every object will undergo a formal condition assessment prior to any potential movement to Yuge Yugeen Bharat Museum. Depending on the findings, objects will receive either immediate preventive conservation or follow established Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for remedial treatment before being cleared for transport. (e) The museum’s curatorial framework is currently being refined through extensive consultation with subject-matter experts to ensure a comprehensive historical narrative. *****