Comprehensively review maintenance standards at UNESCO sites: Parliament panel to govt

UNESCO sites in India include the Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya in Bihar, Rani ki Vav (The Queen’s Stepwell) at Patan in Gujarat, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus) in Mumbai, Jantar Mantar in Jaipur and the Historic City of Ahmedabad in Gujarat.

New Delhi: A parliamentary panel has recommended to the culture ministry to undertake a "comprehensive review" of maintenance standards and visitor facilities at all UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India in coordination with the ASI and prepare a time-bound revamp plan to ensure that the management of these sites is aligned with their global recognition.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture has also recommended to the ministry that it should prepare a "five-year UNESCO nomination strategy", including a pipeline of "at least 10 potential nominations", a structured engagement plan with partner countries for multinational nominations and a "dedicated staff and budgetary provision" for preparing nomination dossiers.

The culture ministry may present this strategy "within one year", it said.

The report, 'Demands for Grants (2026-27) of Ministry of Culture, of the panel, headed by JD(U) MP Sanjay Kumar Jha, was presented in Parliament on Wednesday.

The Committee also noted that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) maintains 3,685 centrally protected monuments through 38 circles.

The ASI has been allocated Rs 1,235.78 crore for 2026-27, constituting 36.17 per cent of the ministry's total allocation, the report said.

The Committee said it has noted from the financial data that ASI conservation expenditure has maintained utilisation rates above 99 per cent, over the period 2021-22 to 2024-25.

"In 2025-26, the utilisation rate stood at 67.17 per cent (Rs 232.52 crore against Rs 346.15 crore, up to November 21, 2025)," it said.

Underlining sustained high utilisation rates in ASI conservation expenditure over 2021-22 to 2024-25, the panel recommended that the ministry should ensure that the utilisation rate for 2025-26 is brought to the level of previous years by the close of the financial year.

The ministry may furnish the final utilisation figures for 2025-26 within 90 days of the close of the financial year, it added.

The Committee emphasised that India's growing portfolio of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, now ranking sixth globally, with 44 inscribed properties, carries with it a "corresponding obligation" under the UNESCO Operational Guidelines to maintain standards of conservation, interpretation and visitor management commensurate with the outstanding universal value of these sites.

These 44 sites include 36 in the cultural category, seven in the natural category while one in the mixed category under the custody of various authorities.

UNESCO sites in India include the ruins of ancient Nalanda University in Nalanda district and Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya in Bihar, Maratha Military Landscapes of India in Maharashtra (inscribed in 2025), Moidams-the Mount-Burial system of the Ahom Dynasty in Assam (inscribed in 2024), Rani ki Vav (The Queen’s Stepwell) at Patan in Gujarat, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus) in Mumbai, Jantar Mantar in Jaipur and the Historic City of Ahmedabad in Gujarat.

With the inscription of the Maratha Military Landscapes, India's international visibility in the heritage domain has been further enhanced, the panel said.

The Committee has recommended that the ministry, in coordination with the ASI, undertake a "comprehensive review of maintenance standards and visitor facilities at all World Heritage Sites and prepare a time-bound upgradation plan to ensure that the condition, interpretation, infrastructure and management of these sites are aligned with their global recognition".

The panel said it expects to be apprised of the action taken in this regard.

The ministry also informed it that the development of 15 significant archaeological sites has been announced, including Rakhigarhi, Dholavira, Hastinapura, Adichanallur and Shivsagar, with visitor infrastructure and interpretation centres.

It recommended that the ministry furnish a detailed project-wise status report for all 15 archaeological site development projects, including physical and financial progress, timelines for completion, and provisions for ongoing conservation and visitor management within 90 days.

The ministry further informed the Committee that in the intangible culture heritage domain, nominations in progress include Chhath Mahaparv as a multinational nomination, shadow puppetry and the Valmiki Ramayana manuscript.

The panel recommended that the ministry prepare a five-year UNESCO nomination strategy, including a pipeline of at least 10 potential nominations; a structured engagement plan with partner countries for multinational nominations; and a dedicated staff and budgetary provision for preparing nomination dossiers.

India has nominated 'Jingkieng Jri/ Lyu Charai Cultural Landscape', the Living Root Bridges of Meghalaya that signify harmony between humans and nature, for inscription into the UNESCO World Heritage List for the 2026-27 cycle, the government informed Parliament on Monday.

In a written response to a query in the Lok Sabha, Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat had also said the country has sent a proposal to the World Heritage Centre, seeking a UNESCO tag for the 'Ancient Buddhist Site, Sarnath' in Uttar Pradesh for the 2025-26 cycle.

The ASI undertakes conservation and maintenance of its monuments and sites, including 27 World Heritage properties, along with the provision of amenities for tourists such as drinking water, toilet blocks, pathways and landscaping, he said.