Lok Sabha Question No. 4855 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-23
Subject: Digitisation of Historical/Religious Sites and Antiquities
Ministry: CULTURE
Asked by: Shri Gyaneshwar Patil, Shri Bhumare Sandipanrao Asaram, Shri Nilesh Dnyandev Lanke, Dr. Shivaji Bandappa Kalge

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CULTURE LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4855 TO BE ANSWERED ON 23.03.2026

## DIGITISATION OF HISTORICAL/RELIGIOUS SITES AND ANTIQUITIES

## ✝

## 4855.  SHRI GYANESHWAR PATIL: SHRI BHUMARE SANDIPANRAO ASARAM: SHRI NILESH DNYANDEV LANKE: DR. SHIVAJI BANDAPPA KALGE:

Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  taken  steps  for  the  digitisation  of  historical/religious  sites  and antiquities located across the country and if so, the details thereof, State/UT-wise particularly Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra;
- (b) whether the digitized data is publicly accessible and available in regional language;
- (c) whether  any  mechanism  has  been  established  to  ensure  standardization  and  accuracy  in documentation;
- (d) whether the Government has launched any technical tools or taken any initiatives to support its preservation  and  display,  particularly  in  Maharashtra  including  Chhatrapati  Sambhajinagar district;
- (e) whether the Government has any plan to include this database in the curriculum of schools and higher education to raise awareness among students in Maharashtra and Khandwa Lok Sabha Constituency of Madhya Pradesh; and
- (f) if so, the details of the said digitalization work along with the targeted timeline thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF CULTURE AND TOURISM (SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)

(a) The Government of India has established the National Mission on Monuments and Antiquities (NMMA)  in  2007  to  prepare  two  national  registers  on  the  documentation  and  digitization  of unprotected monuments (Built Heritage and Sites) and antiquities across the length and breadth of the country.

So  far,  the  NMMA  has  documented  1.84  lakhs  Monuments  (Built  Heritage  &  Sites)  and  17.20 lakhs Antiquities. The State-wise list including Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra is at Annexure-I .

(b)  Yes,  A  part  of  the  digitized  data  is  available  for  public  access  in  English  language  at  the NMMA website: http://nmma.nic.in .

(c) The NMMA has established a uniform format for documentation of monuments and antiquities with 20 and 21 parameters for standardization and accuracy in documentation. All documentation work is carried out in accordance to these guidelines.

- (d)  Currently no such scheme is available with the NMMA, ASI.

(e)  &  (f)  NMMA  regularly  conducts  workshops  in  various  regions  to  raise  awareness  about documentation of monuments and antiquities, organises training programs for universities, colleges, NGOs,  and  other  interested  organizations,  in  coordination  with  field  offices  of  Archaeological Survey of India.

## ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (a)  OF  THE  LOK  SABHA  UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-4855 FOR 23.03.2026

STATE-WISE  DETAILS  OF  ANTIQUITIES  DOCUMENTED  BY  NATIONAL  MISSION  ON MONUMENTS AND ANTIQUITIES

| Sl. No.   | State/UT                                    | Total Data   |
|-----------|---------------------------------------------|--------------|
| 1         | Andhra Pradesh                              | 16,404       |
| 2         | Assam                                       | 1,168        |
| 3         | Bihar                                       | 2,500        |
| 4         | Chandigarh                                  | 19,659       |
| 5         | N. C. T. Of Delhi                           | 3,52,145     |
| 6         | Gujarat                                     | 55,369       |
| 7         | Haryana                                     | 3,01,240     |
| 8         | Himachal Pradesh                            | 4,948        |
| 9         | Jammu &Kashmir/UT                           | 76,889       |
| 10        | Karnataka                                   | 747          |
| 11        | Madhya Pradesh                              | 19,902       |
| 12        | Maharashtra                                 | 1,63,482     |
| 13        | Odisha                                      | 12,356       |
| 14        | Punjab                                      | 70,708       |
| 15        | Rajasthan                                   | 90,000       |
| 16        | Tamil Nadu                                  | 13,956       |
| 17        | Telangana                                   | 481          |
| 18        | Uttar Pradesh                               | 39,560       |
| 19        | West Bengal                                 | 3,447        |
| Total     |                                             | 12,44,961    |
|           | Total ASI Circles\Museums\Branches\CAC data | 4,57,220     |
|           | Data under verification                     | 17,958       |
|           | Total                                       | 17,20,139    |