Archaeological Survey of India
Overview
Abbreviation
An abbreviation is a shortened form of a word or phrase. Usually, but not always, it consists of a letter or group of letters taken from the word or phrase...
: ASI) is a department of the Government of India
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
, attached to the Ministry of Culture
Ministry of Culture (India)
The Ministry of Culture is the Indian government ministry charged with preservation and promotion of art and culture.The Minister of Culture holds cabinet rank as a member of the Council of Ministers. The current minister is Dr...
. The ASI is responsible for archaeological
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
studies and the preservation of archaeological heritage of the country in accordance with the various acts of the Indian Parliament. According to its website, the ASI's function is to "explore, excavate, conserve, preserve and protect the monuments and sites of National & International Importance." ASI has the mandate to regulate the export trade in antiquities and art treasures, to provide for the prevention of smuggling of, and fraudulent dealings in, antiquities, to provide for the compulsory acquisition of antiquities and art treasures for preservation in public places and to provide for certain other matters connected therewith or incidental or ancillary thereto .
Unanswered Questions
