Indian Cultural Institutions, Heritage Laws, UNESCO Sites and National Awards Notes for UPSC: ASI, Sangeet Natak Akademi, Sahitya Akademi, Padma Awards and Intangible Heritage

India protects, promotes and honours its culture through a network of national institutions, heritage laws, UNESCO tags and national awards. These topics are the favourite of the UPSC Prelims, because the questions are factual: "Which institution was established in which year?", "Which tradition is on the UNESCO list?" and "Which award is given for which field?" The Mains also asks about the role of the government and the civil society in the preservation of heritage. These notes cover the major cultural bodies, the heritage laws and schemes, the UNESCO sites and the key national awards in simple tables for fast revision.

Why This Topic Is Important

This is a scoring and current-affairs-linked topic. New UNESCO tags, awards and heritage schemes appear in the news every year, and UPSC picks the facts from them. You can connect this note with the topics of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India, Indian Classical Dances and Folk Art, Theatre and Festivals of India in our notes on Indian Art and Culture.

Important Cultural Institutions of India

Heritage Laws and Government Schemes

• Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958 (AMASR): Protects the monuments of national importance. A 2010 amendment declared a prohibited area of 100 metres around a protected monument and a regulated area of up to 200 metres, and created the National Monuments Authority.
• Antiquities and Art Treasures Act, 1972: Regulates the export and the trade in antiquities and bans the export of the objects older than 100 years without the permission.
• National Mission on Monuments and Antiquities (2007): Prepares the list of monuments and antiquities.
• HRIDAY (2015): The heritage city development scheme for cities like Varanasi, Amritsar, Ajmer, Gaya, Mathura and Puri.
• PRASAD: The scheme for the development of the pilgrimage sites.
• Adopt a Heritage (Apni Dharohar, Apni Pehchaan, 2017): Private and public companies can adopt the monuments for the development of the tourist facilities.
• Article 49 of the Directive Principles makes the protection of the monuments and places of national importance a duty of the State, and Article 51A(f) makes the preservation of the rich heritage a Fundamental Duty.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India

India has more than 40 sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List, in three categories: cultural (the largest number), natural and mixed. The first Indian sites to be listed (in 1983) were the Agra Fort, the Ajanta Caves, the Ellora Caves and the Taj Mahal. Examples of the natural sites are Kaziranga, Manas, Sundarbans, Nanda Devi and the Great Himalayan National Park, and the Western Ghats. The only mixed site in India is the Khangchendzonga National Park in Sikkim. Recent additions include the Dholavira (Harappan city, 2021), the Ramappa (Kakatiya) Temple in Telangana (2021), the Santiniketan (2023), and the Hoysala temples (2023). In addition, UNESCO keeps a separate list of the intangible cultural heritage.

UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of India

Major National Awards in Arts and Letters

How UNESCO Recognition Works

A country first puts a site on its Tentative List, then prepares a detailed nomination dossier, and sends it to UNESCO. The expert bodies, ICOMOS for the cultural sites and IUCN for the natural sites, evaluate it, and the World Heritage Committee takes the final decision. To be listed, a site must have an Outstanding Universal Value and meet at least one of the ten criteria. The state party must also show a plan for the protection and the management of the site. A site can be put on the "List of World Heritage in Danger" if it is threatened by war, pollution or development. For the intangible heritage, the process is similar, but the communities that practise the tradition must give their consent, and the country has to show how it will keep the tradition alive.

Other Important Cultural Bodies and Their Roles

• Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR, 1972): Promotes the research in history and funds the historians.
• National Mission for Manuscripts (2003): Documents and conserves the manuscripts, as India has millions of them.
• Geological Survey of India and Survey of India: Map the land and keep records, and support the archaeological work.
• Zonal Cultural Centres: Seven centres, such as the North Zone Cultural Centre at Patiala, promote the folk and tribal art.
• National Culture Fund: Gets donations from the public and private sector for the heritage conservation.
• Ministry of Culture and Ministry of Tourism: Work together for the cultural tourism.

The Mains Angle: Preserving Cultural Heritage

When the Mains asks about the preservation of the heritage, use this simple frame. Challenges: urban pressure and encroachment, pollution, shortage of funds and trained staff, illegal trade of antiquities, the loss of the traditional knowledge, and the lack of public awareness. Steps taken: the legal protection under the AMASR Act, the National Monuments Authority, the adoption schemes, digital documentation, and the nominations to UNESCO. Way forward: involve the local communities and the youth, promote cultural tourism with the carrying capacity in mind, strengthen the funding and the scientific conservation, and use technology for the surveys. Always link the heritage with the sustainable development and with India's soft power.

Previous-Year Style Practice

• Which body was founded by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad to promote cultural relations with other countries? Answer: The ICCR.
• Which Indian site was inscribed on the UNESCO list as the Harappan city in 2021? Answer: Dholavira.
• Which award is given for the lifetime contribution to Indian cinema? Answer: The Dadasaheb Phalke Award.
• Which Article of the Constitution is a Directive Principle on the protection of monuments? Answer: Article 49.

Memory Tips and Common Mistakes

• Sangeet Natak (1952), Sahitya and Lalit Kala (1954) are the three Akademies: remember them by the order "music, letters, fine arts".
• The ICCR is for foreign cultural relations, while the ICHR is for historical research.
• Do not confuse the UNESCO World Heritage Sites (monuments and places) with the Intangible Cultural Heritage (traditions and practices).
• The Jnanpith is for literature, and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award is for cinema.
• Remember that the Bharat Ratna and the Padma awards are not titles that can be used with the name.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Who founded the Archaeological Survey of India?

Alexander Cunningham started the ASI in 1861.

Which body promotes music, dance and drama in India?

The Sangeet Natak Akademi, set up in 1952.

How many languages does the Sahitya Akademi recognise?

It recognises 24 languages.

Which Indian site is the only mixed World Heritage Site?

The Khangchendzonga National Park in Sikkim.

Which Indian tradition was added to the UNESCO list in 2023?

Garba of Gujarat was added in 2023.

Which law protects the monuments of national importance?

The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958.

What is the prohibited area around a protected monument?

A prohibited area of 100 metres and a regulated area of up to 200 metres.

Who got the first Jnanpith Award?

G. Sankara Kurup, in 1965.

Who was the first recipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award?

Devika Rani, in 1969.

Which scheme allows companies to adopt monuments?

Adopt a Heritage, also called Apni Dharohar, Apni Pehchaan, launched in 2017.

What is the purpose of the ICCR?

To promote India's cultural relations with other countries.

Which Article makes the preservation of the heritage a Fundamental Duty?

Article 51A(f).