42 monuments in city to be restored
Embarking on an ambitious project to create another India Gate-style model in the national capital, the tourism ministry will undertake restoration and conservation of the 42 monumental structures at tombs of Humayun and Nizamuddin in an integrated manner.
Jagmohans broom, ASI now headed for Pushkar
Culture and Tourism Minister Jagmohan will wield the broom in and around the area adjoining the Pushkar lake and the temple devoted to Brahma in an attempt to boost both tourism and preserve an ancient heritage gathering dirt and stench. But before he begins to sweep, he has decided to …
ASI pays money to get its own monument cleared
Having turned a blind eye to encroachments on Nila Gumbad, once part of the ancient Humayun's Tomb complex in New Delhi, the Archaeological Survey of India has now coughed up Rs 80 lakhs to the slum wing of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi to clear slumdwellers from this protected monument …
ASI fails to stop encroachments
It might be a week to celebrate heritage for the Archeological Survey of India. But if the condition of some of their "protected'' monuments is anything to go by, there seems to be very little to celebrate. And probably, nothing illustrates this point more than the recent High Court ruling …
ASI fails to stop encroachments
It might be a week to celebrate heritage for the Archeological Survey of India. But if the condition of some of their "protected'' monuments is anything to go by, there seems to be very little to celebrate. And probably, nothing illustrates this point more than the recent High Court ruling …
Varsity team to look under water, settle submerged civilisation row
The archaeology and geology departments of MS University are all set to lend their expertise in the underwater exploration to be carried out shortly in the Gulf of Cambay. Explorations by the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) had indicated a likely pre-Harappan civilisation, a finding that excited scholars and …
Japanese grant for Ajanta-Ellora
The Japanese government has sanctioned financial assistance of Rs 430.52 crore to preserve and develop the world heritage site of Ajanta and Ellora and surrounding tourist attractions in Maharashtra. The project to be implemented by the State Tourism Development Corporation, is among seven projects across the country being financed by …
Transport Department plans month-long 'war against pollution' from fuel outlets
In a far-reaching move, the Transport Department has urged petrol bunks in Bangalore city not to dispense petrol and diesel to vehicles that do not produce emission certificates, Transport Commissioner T Thimme Gowda announced on Tuesday. The department has already requested all fuel bunks to open emission-testing centres in their …
IIT Kanpur team solves mystery of Delhi's iron pillar
Experts at the Indian Institute of Technology have resolved the mystery behind the 16,00-year-old iron pillar in Delhi, which has never corroded despite the Capital's harsh weather. Metallurgists at IIT Kanpur have discovered that a thin layer of misawite, a compound of iron, oxygen and hydrogen, has protected the cast …
HC notice to protect historical monuments
The Delhi High Court has issued notices to Union Government and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) on a petition seeking directions for protection and preservation of historical places and monuments in the country.
Palatial remains of Tughlak era found
History is showcasing itself at Tughlakabad Fort. Excavations conducted by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) at the 14th century fort have unearthed remains of palace complexes of the Tughlak period. In the newly-cleared palace area, traces of what were once bathrooms, store rooms and water reservoirs are clearly visible …
MTDC completes phase-I of Ajanta-Ellora restoration
Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation Ltd (MTDC),after completing the first phase of restoration work of Ajanta and Ellora caves with an investment of Rs 98 crore, has outlines an investment plan of Rs 500 crore to complete the second phase of restoration work for preservation of these monuments.
Delhi govt. to move court against Telco, Leyland
With the threat of yet another transport crisis looming large - almost 2,500 diesel buses might go off roads next week - the Delhi government is planning to take CNG chassis manufacturers Telco and Ashok Leyland to the apex court. "The companies had told the court that they had 15,00 …
Ancient twin wells excavated at Hatab
The Archeological Survey of India has found a rare structure - 'twin wells' dating back to 1 AD, at Hatab about 24 km from Bhavangar (Gujarat) during the agency ongoing excavations.
Mystic Majuli one step closer to becoming world heritage
Mystic Majuli, the world's largest inhabited fresh water river island in the Brahmaputra riverbed in Assam, could soon become a world heritage. UNESCO, which selects the world heritage sites around the world, last week conducted an on-the-spot survey to examine the eligibility of this river island to become a world …
ASI digs up prehistoric town
Archaeological evidence suggesting presence of prehistoric inhabitations dating back to the year 500000 BC have been discovered in Kanker. The two month long excavation being carried out by the Archaeological Survey of India commenced December last.
A new drive against pollution
The anti-pollution drive in Delhi will soon go hi-tech. About 400 Pollution Under Control Centres (PUCCs) across the city are going to be equipped with digital cameras, computers and designer kiosks to give clinical readings of emissions, bringing the 900,000-odd private vehicles on the roads under close scrutiny. The State …
Education as Fundamental right
Now that the Lok Sabha has passed the 93rd Constitutional Amendment, the desire to have the Right to Education (up to the upper primary stage) as a Fundamental Right guaranteed by the Constitution is closer to becoming a reality. Eradicating illiteracy by 1960 (within ten years of the commencement of …
Writing off quality
Parliament has tripped on good intentions once again - to immeasurable detriment to India's children and, by extension, the country's tomorrows. At first glance the unanimous amendment to the Constitution mankind education a fundamental right is unexceptionable. Yet, even a cursory persual of the legislation cleared by the Lok Sabha …
