BREAKING NEWS : CONSERVATION OF THIRTY HISTORICAL MONUMENTS BY PRIVATE SECTOR – ADOPT A HERITAGE (AAH) 2.0

TTT NEWS NETWORK

NEW DELHI | 19 MARCH 2026

Adopt A Heritage (AAH) 2.0 program has been launched, exclusively for protected monuments of national importance, to create a framework for engagement with private/public sector companies and NGOs/ Trusts/ Societies, etc., to develop/ provide a group of amenities at protected monuments to enhance visitors’ experience and make them visitor-friendly, wherein the role of stakeholders or partnered entities is limited to the engagement in the non-conservational aspects viz., cleaning of monument premises, besides providing and maintaining basic tourist amenities like washrooms, drinking water, child care room, benches, pathways, garbage bins, signage, Sound and Light shows, illumination, etc. under the guidance and due consultation with ASI.

However, the work related to archaeological conservation and the preservation of protected monuments/sites is executed/supervised by ASI experts.

A donor/sponsor while making contributions to the NCF can indicate a project to be taken up for conservation or developing amenities around any monument. The conservation of protected monuments is executed/supervised by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

In addition, the details of 30 MoUs signed under Adopt A Heritage (AAH) 2.0 program is given at Annexure I.

The details of centrally protected monuments and sites delisted or newly notified during the last three years are given at Annexure-II.

Archaeological Survey of India, (ASI), through its field offices, organizes community-driven and people-centric events, such as walkthroughs, talks, drawing and painting competitions for school and college students, photo exhibitions for visitors, and consultative meetings with locals and community stakeholders. These events are held on various occasions, including World Heritage Day, World Tourism Day, World Heritage Week, International Day of Yoga, among others, and at the time of various other national celebrations as and when entrusted with to raise awareness about the need for sensitization toward the protection of the country’s age-old heritage.

Annexure-I

MoUs signed under AAH 2.0

A total of 30 MoUs have been materialized, the details of which are as below:

Annexure-II

DETAILS OF ANCIENT MONUMENTS AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES & REMAINS CEASED TO BE OF NATIONAL IMPORTANCE DURING THE LAST THREE YEARS.

This information was given by Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.