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The headquarters of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is located in:
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Answer: Option C — New Delhi
Detailed Solution
The headquarters of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is in New Delhi; its office, "Dharohar Bhawan", is on Tilak Marg.
About the ASI:
It was founded in 1861 by Alexander Cunningham, who became its first Director General (then called the Archaeological Surveyor). He is known as the "Father of Indian Archaeology".
It works under the Ministry of Culture.
It is the premier organisation for archaeological research and the protection of India's cultural heritage.
Its main functions:
To survey, explore and excavate archaeological sites.
To conserve and protect monuments and sites of national importance. It protects about 3,700 monuments.
To maintain site museums.
To regulate activities near protected monuments under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMASR) Act, 1958. A "prohibited area" extends 100 metres around a protected monument, and a "regulated area" 200 metres beyond it.
To implement the Antiquities and Art Treasures Act, 1972.
History:
Lord Curzon, the Viceroy, revived the ASI and passed the "Ancient Monuments Preservation Act, 1904".
John Marshall was its Director General from 1902 to 1928. During his time, the Indus Valley Civilisation was discovered: Harappa by Daya Ram Sahni (1921) and Mohenjo-daro by R. D. Banerji (1922).
Mortimer Wheeler was Director General from 1944 to 1948.
The first Indian Director General was Rai Bahadur Daya Ram Sahni (1931-1935).
Organisation:
- It is divided into "circles" (about 37 or more) headed by Superintending Archaeologists, which look after monuments in their areas.
- It runs the "Adopt a Heritage" scheme (2017), now "Adopt a Heritage 2.0" (2023), which invites companies to develop tourist facilities at monuments.
Related institutions:
- Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Institute of Archaeology: Greater Noida; trains archaeologists.
- National Monuments Authority (NMA): set up in 2011 under the AMASR Act.
- World Heritage Day is observed on 18 April, and World Heritage Week from 19 to 25 November.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Kolkata has the Zoological Survey of India and the Botanical Survey of India.
- ✗Agra has the Taj Mahal and an ASI circle office.
- ✗Mumbai has an ASI circle office.
Quick tip
Remember: Archaeological Survey of India = New Delhi (1861; Alexander Cunningham, "Father of Indian Archaeology"; Ministry of Culture; AMASR Act 1958); John Marshall = Indus Valley discoveries; World Heritage Day = 18 April.
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Monuments & Religious Places — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Monuments & Religious Places, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers India's important monuments, temples, mosques, churches, gurudwaras and pilgrimage sites, who built them and when, their architectural styles, and India's UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Questions ask who built a monument, where it is located, or which dynasty or style it belongs to. For example, the Qutub Minar was begun by Qutbuddin Aibak, and the Sun Temple at Konark was built by the Eastern Ganga king Narasimhadeva I. Revise the UNESCO World Heritage Sites as a list, noting the most recent additions. Practise the monuments and religious places questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.