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Yuge Yugeen Bharat Museum project’s budget, timeline ‘currently being determined’: Govt to Rajya Sabha

February 13, 2026 4 min read Art & Culture Polity & Governance GS1 (Art & Culture) GS2 (Polity & Governance)
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What Happened

  • In a written response to a query in Rajya Sabha, Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat stated that the budget and timeline for the Yuge Yugeen Bharat National Museum project are "currently being determined" as the design phase is still ongoing.
  • The museum is being developed by converting the iconic North and South Blocks on Raisina Hill, New Delhi, into the world's largest museum, spanning approximately 1,55,000 square metres with 950 rooms.
  • An agreement was signed on December 19, 2024, between the National Museum and France Museums Development (France Museums Developpement) for technical cooperation.
  • Artefacts will be drawn from six museums of the Culture Ministry, 52 Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) site museums, repatriated artefacts, and items loaned from international institutions, state museums, and private collections.

Static Topic Bridges

Central Vista Redevelopment Project

The Yuge Yugeen Bharat Museum is part of the larger Central Vista Redevelopment Project, which involves the redesign and reconstruction of India's central administrative area along Rajpath (now Kartavya Path) in New Delhi. The project, designed by Bimal Patel's HCP Design, Planning and Management, includes a new Parliament House (inaugurated May 2023), a new Prime Minister's residence, and the conversion of the colonial-era North and South Blocks into the museum.

  • North and South Blocks were designed by Herbert Baker and completed in 1931 as part of Edwin Lutyens' New Delhi plan
  • The blocks served as the seat of the Ministry of Finance (North Block) and Ministry of External Affairs/Home Affairs (South Block)
  • Government offices have been relocated to the new Common Central Secretariat buildings
  • The project has faced criticism regarding cost, heritage conservation concerns, and environmental clearances
  • The adaptive reuse approach preserves the heritage structures while repurposing them for cultural use

Connection to this news: The government's response that the budget is still being determined suggests that the adaptive reuse of these massive heritage buildings presents unique cost and design challenges, requiring the ongoing feasibility study to be completed before commitments can be made.

India-France Cultural Cooperation and Museum Development

India and France have a longstanding partnership in cultural heritage preservation and museum development. France's expertise in museum management, exemplified by institutions like the Louvre, Grand Palais, and Hotel de la Marine, underpins the collaboration. This partnership builds upon a Letter of Intent signed in 2020 emphasising museum and heritage cooperation, further strengthened during the Prime Minister's visit to Paris in 2023.

  • France Museums Developpement is an international consultancy that supported the development of the Louvre Abu Dhabi
  • The collaboration covers museography, collection management, conservation science, and visitor experience design
  • India has approximately 1,000 museums, but most lack modern curation, digital infrastructure, and visitor engagement systems
  • The National Museum in New Delhi currently houses approximately 2 lakh artefacts spanning 5,000 years
  • UNESCO's International Council of Museums (ICOM) framework guides international museum standards

Connection to this news: The France partnership signals India's ambition to create a museum of global stature, leveraging French expertise in transforming heritage buildings into world-class cultural institutions, as seen in the Louvre and Musee d'Orsay models of adaptive reuse.

Repatriation of Cultural Artefacts

India has been actively pursuing the repatriation of antiquities and cultural artefacts from institutions and private collections worldwide. The inclusion of repatriated artefacts in the Yuge Yugeen Bharat Museum's collection plan reflects this broader diplomatic and legal effort to recover India's cultural patrimony, often removed during the colonial period or through illicit trafficking.

  • India has successfully repatriated over 350 antiquities since 2014 from countries including the US, UK, Australia, and Singapore
  • The UNESCO 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property provides the international legal framework
  • India's Antiquities and Art Treasures Act (1972) regulates the export and possession of antiquities
  • The ASI maintains 52 site museums across India housing approximately 50,000 artefacts
  • The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) traces its origins to 1861 under Alexander Cunningham

Connection to this news: The plan to consolidate artefacts from six ministry museums, 52 ASI site museums, and repatriated objects into a single institution represents an unprecedented effort to create a comprehensive narrative of India's civilisational history in one location.

Key Facts & Data

  • Museum area: 1,55,000 square metres across North and South Blocks with 950 rooms
  • Eight thematic sections covering over 5,000 years of Indian history
  • Agreement with France Museums Developpement signed December 19, 2024
  • Artefacts from 6 ministry museums + 52 ASI site museums + repatriated items + loans
  • India has repatriated over 350 antiquities since 2014
  • North and South Blocks originally designed by Herbert Baker, completed in 1931
  • Budget and timeline contingent on completion of the ongoing feasibility study