The National Museum in New Delhi functions under the administrative control of the:

The National Museum in New Delhi is a subordinate office of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India.

History of the National Museum:

• Its origin lies in an exhibition of Indian art held at the Royal Academy in London in 1947 and 1948.
• After the exhibition, the objects were displayed at Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi.
• The National Museum was formally inaugurated on 15 August 1949 at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
• It moved to its present building on Janpath in 1960.

Collections:

• It has more than two lakh objects, covering about 5,000 years of Indian history.
• Its collections include objects from the Indus Valley Civilisation, such as the bronze "Dancing Girl" from Mohenjo-daro.
• It has sculptures, paintings, manuscripts, coins, arms and armour, jewellery, textiles and decorative arts.
• It also has relics believed to be of the Buddha.

National Museum Institute:

The National Museum Institute of the History of Art, Conservation and Museology was set up in 1983 and was given deemed university status.

Other museums under the Ministry of Culture:

• The National Gallery of Modern Art in New Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.
• The Indian Museum in Kolkata, the oldest and largest museum in India.
• The Victoria Memorial Hall in Kolkata.
• The Salar Jung Museum in Hyderabad.
• The Allahabad Museum.

Other bodies under the Ministry of Culture:

• The Archaeological Survey of India, which looks after protected monuments.
• The Sangeet Natak Akademi, Sahitya Akademi and Lalit Kala Akademi.
• The National Archives of India.

Plans for a new museum:

The government has announced plans for a new national museum under the Central Vista project.

International Museum Day:

18 May is observed as International Museum Day.

Why not the other options?

• ✗The Ministry of Tourism promotes tourism.
• ✗The Ministry of Education deals with education.
• ✗The Archaeological Survey of India is itself a body under the Ministry of Culture.