GS Paper 2
Syllabus: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
Source: TH
Direction: The article highlights legal protection available to Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains in India.
Context: According to the Ministry of Culture, Uttar Pradesh has the largest number of Centrally Protected Monuments which have been encroached upon, closely followed by Tamil Nadu.
Background:
- The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMASR) Act, 1958 is one of the landmark laws for the –
- Preservation of ancient and historical monuments and archaeological sites and remains of national importance (over 100 years old).
- Regulation of archaeological excavations and
- Protection of sculptures, carvings and other like objects.
- The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) functions under the provisions of this act.
- India has a total of 3,695 Centrally Protected Monuments or Sites in the country, under the protection of the ASI.
- The monuments are regularly inspected by the ASI officials to assess their present condition and the necessary conservation and preservation works are taken up as per the requirement.
2010 Amendment:
- The AMASR Act 1958, was amended in 2010 to strengthen its penal provisions, to prevent encroachments and illegal construction close to the monuments – which was happening on a large scale.
- The main features of the amendments:
- Creation of a –
- Prohibited area 100 metre around every national monument where no construction, public or private is permitted,
- Regulated area 200 metres beyond the prohibited area, where any construction requires permission of a newly constituted National Monuments Authority.
- Given the unique nature of each monument, the Act also proposed heritage by-laws for each monument to be prepared by an expert body.
- Creation of a –
- Further amendments have been proposed which seek to do away with the ban on construction within 100 metres of an ASI-protected monument and regulate construction within 100-200 metres.
Concerns: Public works by the central and state governments around the monuments are causing disturbance to cultural or environmental heritage.
Way ahead: Development along with the lowest adverse impact on the cultural heritage and environment should be the aim of the governments.
Conclusion: Because India has a large untapped tourism potential, development should not come at the expense of our cultural or environmental heritage.
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Q. Examine why historians and archaeologists have expressed concern over amendments proposed to the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act (1958).
