Orders to vacate National Museum by year-end, new one set for 2025

Sources said if this timeline holds, researchers may not be able to access the museum’s exhibits — it showcases nearly 10 per cent of its collection of over 2.10 lakh artefacts.

Museum officials, sources said, have been told that they should vacate the building by the end of the year so that it can be demolished by March next year.

At a meeting with museum officials on September 2 in the office of Govind Mohan, Secretary, Ministry of Culture, it was decided that “a suitable space for storage and for the existing staff of National Museum needs to be identified for which a space consultant or a space assessment company should be appointed.”

Apart from Govind Mohan, the meeting was attended by four officials of the Ministry of Culture and four officials of the National Museum including its Director General B R Mani.

Contacted by The Indian Express, Mani declined comment. Questions sent to Govind Mohan did not elicit a response.

Officials said a roadmap for the shifting of the museum and a concept note are to be drawn at the earliest. They said they are working to identify a suitable space for storage of the museum objects and for the existing museum staff.

Shifting museum artefacts is serious business. There is a specific guideline dated September  15, 2014 by the Ministry of Culture which states: “Shifting and transportation of museum objects should be carried out by professionally skilled people in the field and not the unskilled people… before shifting… detailed condition status report should be prepared after having a clear cut opinion from the Conservator in writing whether the object is fit to be moved or not.”

The National Museum houses artefacts from the prehistoric period to the contemporary era. They represent over 5,000 years of Indian art and craftsmanship.

It was established on August 15, 1949 at the Rashtrapati Bhavan with artefacts first exhibited at Burlington House, London. The present building on Janpath was opened on December 18, 1960.