REPATRIATION OF ANTIQUITIES AND CULTURAL OBJECTS

The Ministry of Culture reported that thefts from Centrally Protected Monuments have been recorded in Annexure‑I, listing six cases between 2021 and 2024, of which three objects have been recovered and three remain unrecovered. To curb such thefts, the government has deployed regular watch‑and‑ward staff, private security guards and the Central Industrial Security Force at Monuments of National Importance, Sites and Museums, and issues FIRs and Look‑out Notices to law‑enforcement agencies and customs when thefts occur. Repatriation of stolen antiquities is carried out in coordination with the Ministry of External Affairs and Indian diplomatic missions, as reflected in Annexure‑II which documents the retrieval of 615 objects from countries including the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, Italy and Thailand up to 30 June 2026. The information was provided by Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in a Lok Sabha reply.