Parliament panel calls for preserving British-era heritage sites not under ASI ambit

What Happened

The Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture, chaired by JD(U) MP Sanjay Kumar Jha, released a report on the Ministry of Culture's Demands for Grants for 2026–27.
The committee recommended that the Ministry of Culture prepare a comprehensive inventory of non-ASI heritage structures at risk — particularly colonial-era buildings, railway stations, courthouses, and bungalows — in coordination with state governments.
The panel also called for protecting the architectural heritage component of these sites under a proposed new infrastructure scheme, acknowledging that British-era structures fall outside the Archaeological Survey of India's jurisdiction if they have not been notified as Centrally Protected Monuments (CPMs).
The committee noted that the existing list of 3,691 CPMs includes 75 graves of colonial-era British soldiers and officials receiving the same level of legal protection as monuments of national significance such as the Taj Mahal and the Red Fort, and recommended rationalising the CPM list based on genuine historical and architectural value.
The panel recommended the ASI formulate clear Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for de-notification decisions with a defined timeline not exceeding 90 days.

Static Topic Bridges

AMASR Act, 1958 and the Framework for Centrally Protected Monuments

The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958 (AMASR Act) is the primary law governing the preservation of India's archaeological and historical heritage. Under this Act, the Central Government can declare any monument of historical, archaeological, or artistic interest of not less than 100 years' age as a "monument of national importance." Once so declared, the monument becomes a Centrally Protected Monument (CPM) managed by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) under the Ministry of Culture.

Prohibited area: 100 metres from any CPM — no construction without permission from the National Monuments Authority (NMA).
Regulated area: 200 metres beyond the prohibited area — construction requires NMA clearance.
NMA (National Monuments Authority): statutory body created under the AMASR (Amendment and Validation) Act, 2010 to issue permissions in prohibited and regulated areas.
The AMASR Act does not automatically cover all old buildings — only those formally notified. Heritage structures not notified as CPMs fall outside ASI's direct protection mandate.
Total CPMs in India: 3,691 (as of 2024–25), spread across 40 states and UTs.

Connection to this news: The committee's concern is that thousands of colonial-era buildings — railway terminus structures, High Court buildings, heritage bungalows — are architecturally significant but lie outside the AMASR Act's protection because they were never formally notified as CPMs.

Archaeological Survey of India (ASI): Mandate and Limitations

The Archaeological Survey of India, established in 1861 under Alexander Cunningham and functioning under the Ministry of Culture, is the primary agency for archaeological research and conservation of cultural heritage in India. Its mandate covers: (1) maintaining and preserving CPMs; (2) conducting archaeological excavations; (3) licensing archaeological excavations by other agencies; (4) chemical preservation and scientific conservation of monuments; (5) running museums co-located with monuments.

ASI has no jurisdiction over state protected monuments (governed by State Archaeology Departments) or unprotected heritage structures.
Significant CPMs include the Taj Mahal, Qutub Minar, Hampi Group, Konark Sun Temple, Ajanta-Ellora Caves, and Harappan sites.
The AMASR Act's 100-year age threshold means post-1924 structures technically cannot yet qualify — many early post-Independence buildings are approaching or have crossed this threshold.
Annual budget and staffing constraints limit ASI's capacity to absorb additional monuments into its protection regime.

Connection to this news: The parliamentary panel's recommendation to create an inventory of non-ASI structures addresses the protection gap: buildings of colonial heritage value that are rapidly being demolished or repurposed because no legal mechanism compels their protection.

Parliamentary Standing Committees: Oversight Mechanism

Parliamentary Standing Committees are permanent committees of Parliament that scrutinise bills, examine budgetary demands, and oversee the functioning of specific ministries. The Department-related Standing Committees (DRSCs) were established in 1993 to provide systematic legislative oversight. Each DRSC is associated with one or more ministries and presents reports on Demands for Grants (budget), bills referred to them, and policy matters.

24 DRSCs cover all Central government ministries/departments.
Reports are presented to both Houses of Parliament (Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha) and are in the public domain.
The Ministry is required to submit Action Taken Notes (ATNs) explaining whether and how it intends to implement committee recommendations.
The Transport, Tourism and Culture DRSC covers both the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Tourism, making it the primary parliamentary body for heritage policy oversight.
Committee recommendations are persuasive but not legally binding — enforcement depends on executive will and subsequent legislative action.

Connection to this news: The 2026 panel report's recommendation for a non-ASI inventory and rationalisation of the CPM list represents the committee's advisory oversight role; implementation requires Ministry of Culture action and potentially new legislation to extend protection to currently unnotified heritage.

Colonial Heritage and the Politics of Preservation

India's approach to British-era built heritage has been complex. Some structures (Victoria Memorial, Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament Building, High Courts) have received de facto protection through institutional use. Others — railway stations, circuit houses, dak bungalows, district offices — are being demolished or repurposed without heritage impact assessment. UNESCO's 2011 Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape and India's own National Culture Fund offer frameworks for integrated urban heritage conservation, but implementation has been uneven.

The World Heritage Committee has previously raised concerns about the lack of heritage regulation around some of India's notified World Heritage Sites.
India has 44 UNESCO World Heritage Sites (as of 2024) — 34 cultural, 7 natural, 3 mixed.
Several colonial-era cities (Ahmedabad — first Indian city inscribed as World Heritage City in 2017) have developed local heritage regulation frameworks.
The Intangible Cultural Heritage of cities is often embedded in built colonial-era structures — markets, courts, universities — making demolition a double loss.

Connection to this news: The committee's call to inventory non-ASI British-era sites before they are lost reflects a growing consensus that heritage preservation cannot be limited to ancient monuments alone — colonial-era built heritage is a part of India's layered historical identity.

Key Facts & Data

AMASR Act, 1958: governs Centrally Protected Monuments (CPMs); administered by ASI under Ministry of Culture.
AMASR Amendment and Validation Act, 2010: established National Monuments Authority (NMA).
Total CPMs: 3,691 (including 75 colonial-era graves of British soldiers/officials).
Prohibited area around CPMs: 100 metres; regulated area: an additional 200 metres.
ASI established: 1861 by Alexander Cunningham; functions under Ministry of Culture.
India has 44 UNESCO World Heritage Sites (34 cultural, 7 natural, 3 mixed) as of 2024.
Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture: DRSC established 1993; 24 such committees cover all ministries.