Important Facts For Prelims
Gallery of Confiscated and Retrieved Antiquities
- 02 Sep 2019
- 2 min read
Recently, the Ministry of State for Culture & Tourism has inaugurated ‘Gallery of Confiscated and Retrieved Antiquities’ at Purana Qila, New Delhi.
- This Gallery is a part of Central Antiquity Collection (CAC), located in Purana Qila.
- CAC was created to house the antiquities explored and excavated by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and also those antiquities which were retrieved and confiscated with the help of Ministry of External Affairs and various law enforcing agencies.
- According to the government, the highest number of antiquities are recovered in the last five years.
- In the past, many of valuable antiquities, artefacts and sculptures have been stolen from India and are sold in foreign countries.
- As per the Antiquity and Art Treasures Act, 1972 and rules 1973, it is the duty of the Archaeological Survey of India to stop theft, illegal export and regulates domestic trade of antiquities.
- So far, ASI has retrieved 44 stolen antiquities from USA, Australia, Singapore, Germany, Canada and England and 119 more antiquities are in the process of retrieval.
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)
- ASI is the premier organization for the archaeological research, scientific analysis, excavation of archaeological sites, conservation and preservation of protected monuments.
- It is an attached office under the Department of Culture (Ministry of Culture).
- ASI was founded in 1861 by Alexander Cunningham who became its first Director-General.
