ASI’s staffing increase follows regular recruitment and promotions through the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), Staff Selection Commission (SSC) and internal feeder-grade promotions. Officials said manpower has been rationally deployed to match operational requirements of active excavation projects, and targeted capacity-building training is provided to field teams.
Permissions and Reporting: Excavation Activity in 2025
According to the information submitted to the Rajya Sabha, ASI granted 24 permissions for excavation and exploration in the current financial year up to December 2025. Each authorised excavation requires the preparation and submission of a technical report upon completion, ensuring accountability and scholarly documentation of finds.
Academic and archaeological collaborations continue to be evaluated and approved by relevant branches, enabling joint projects while safeguarding scientific standards and timelines.
Modern Survey Tools: LiDAR, GIS and Drones
ASI said it is increasingly using LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) for mapping, documentation and site study. These technologies enhance the precision of surveys, help detect buried features without invasive digging, and create high-resolution digital records for conservation planning.
Use of such tools is resource-dependent and applied as required, but officials emphasised that technology is now a routine part of the documentation toolkit for large and sensitive monuments as well as for landscape-level archaeological work.
Encroachment Removal and Legal Powers
Protecting monuments from encroachment remains a priority. ASI enforces provisions of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMASR) Act, 1958, and its rules. Superintending Archaeologists in charge of ASI circles have been vested with powers as Estate Officers under the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1971 to issue eviction notices and orders.
They may also issue show-cause notices under the AMASR Act and seek assistance from state governments and police when necessary. In addition to regular watch-and-ward personnel, ASI deploys private security staff and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) at selected monuments to bolster safety and deter unauthorised activity.
Capacity Building and Rational Deployment
Training and internal upskilling are central to ASI’s approach. The agency conducts periodic internal training programmes for field staff to keep them abreast of contemporary excavation methods and digital documentation practices.
Rational deployment of staff moving personnel to where excavations and conservation projects demand them most aims to improve operational efficiency while ensuring continuity of expertise at key heritage sites.
Balancing Research Collaboration With Preservation
ASI’s framework for academic partnerships allows institution-level collaborations while ensuring that duration, methodology and conservation concerns are fully vetted. These checks are intended to prevent research from adversely affecting protected structures and to ensure that archaeological work adheres to scientific best practices.
Officials told Parliament that technical reports from excavations, together with digital records, feed into conservation plans and national heritage databases, supporting long-term preservation strategies.
Why This Matters
India’s heritage sites face pressure from urbanisation, unauthorised occupation and environmental factors. Strengthening excavation capacity and adopting modern, non-invasive technologies can help ASI balance the twin goals of research and preservation. The added legal tools for eviction and increased security measures provide operational muscle to keep protected sites inviolate.
