Context: Ex-chairman of the National Monument Authority claims that the declaration of the monument of national importance should be based on more rational and logical parameters.
What is a Monuments of National Importance?
A “Monument of National Importance” is designated by the Archaeological Survey of India and includes the following:
- The remains of an ancient monument
- The site of an ancient monument
- The land on which there are fences or protective covering structures for preserving the monument
- Land by means of which people can freely access the monument
The largest number of such sites are in Uttar Pradesh, followed by Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
National Monuments Authority (NMA) is a statutory body under the Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India has been setup as per provisions of The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains or AMASR Act, 1958 (amended in 2010).
Functions of NMA:
- Protection and preservation of monuments and sites through management of the prohibited and regulated area around the centrally protected monuments.
- To consider grant of permissions to applicants for construction-related activity in the prohibited and regulated area.
- To categorize all the protected monuments and protected areas declared as of National importance as per AMASR act 1958.
- To balance the needs of individuals and growth and development on the one hand and the requirements of preservation and protection of these monuments on the other.
- Make recommendations to the Central Government for grading and classifying protected monuments and protected areas.
