# Centre delists 18 protected monuments since 2021

2026-08-13T20:10:43+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 2 independent outlets

The Centre has delisted 18 monuments, including Delhi's Bara Khamba Cemetery and a banyan grove of 'great antiquity', from the protected list since 2021. Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat told the Rajya Sabha on Thursday that the sites had ceased to be of national importance under the Ancient Monuments Act. The Archaeological Survey of India now oversees 3,688 centrally protected sites. Separately, India has retrieved 662 artefacts from the US, Australia, UK, and Netherlands till June 2026. The minister also said no audit of compliance with the Public Records Act has been conducted in 12 years because the law does not provide for one.

## Coverage

- indiatoday.in <https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/protected-monuments-delisted-centre-removes-18-sites-since-2021-parliament-told-ptag-2970704-2026-08-14?utm_source=rss>
- ndtv.com <https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/18-monuments-delisted-from-protected-sites-list-since-2021-centre-11907377#publisher=newsstand>

Tags: artefacts, ASI, delisting, heritage, monuments, Parliament
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