Seeking corporate funding, ASI begins ‘Adopt a Heritage 2.0’ scheme

The ASI has launched the "Adopt a Heritage 2.0" programme, inviting corporates to fund amenities at monuments from their CSR funds.

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) on Monday launched the “Adopt a Heritage 2.0” programme under which corporates are invited to fund amenities at monuments from their corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds.

Stakeholders can apply to adopt a monument or specific amenities at a monument through a dedicated web portal with www.indianheritage.gov.in, which contains details of monuments that are up for adoption along with gap analysis and financial estimation of amenities. (HT Archive)

G Kishan Reddy, Union minister of culture and tourism, said the programme seeks to foster collaborations with corporate stakeholders through which companies can contribute to the preservation of monuments for the generations to come.

“Central and state agencies, social organisations such as trusts, institutions, NGOs, corporate offices and stakeholders should come forward to adopt heritage monuments. The aim of “Adopt a Heritage 2.0” programme is to enhance the visitor experience at centrally protected monuments, improve amenities, and bolster the culture and heritage value of the country,” said Reddy.

The programme is a revamped version of the scheme launched in 2017 by the tourism ministry.

Stakeholders can apply to adopt a monument or specific amenities at a monument through a dedicated web portal with www.indianheritage.gov.in, which contains details of monuments that are up for adoption along with gap analysis and financial estimation of amenities.

Meenakashi Lekhi, Union minister of state for culture, said the scheme has been relaunched after addressing gaps in the earlier version. “We have redone the scheme since there were gaps in the previous scheme that needed to be fixed. This is happening at an opportune moment since the G20 presidency is an opportunity to showcase the cultural heritage of our country,” said Lekhi, during the launch of the programme at Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts.

She said while India is dotted with plenty of monuments, they are not valued enough by people. Seeking the cooperation of stakeholders, she said it was time to protect our collective heritage. “Just as heritage lies abandoned, a whole lot of corporate funds go unused...It’s time to reclaim our heritage since arts and crafts cannot survive without patronage. It’s time to come together and identify the gaps,” said Lekhi.

The minister added that the process for selection of stakeholders for heritage adoption will be carried out after due diligence and discussions with various stakeholders and assessment of the economic and developmental opportunities at each monument.

In addition to the launch of the revamped programme, a mobile app showcasing heritage monuments of India (Indian Heritage Atlas) and a permission portal, which will digitise the process of obtaining permission for filming at monuments, were also launched.

Lekhi said the permission portal will make it easier for people to secure necessary permits for shooting and other activities. “People continuously call us and seek help in getting permission for shooting or photography at various places. To increase transparency and smooth functioning, we have launched the permission portal,” she said.

Across the country, ASI has 3,696 monuments under its protection. Under the previous scheme, around four to five monuments, including the Red Fort, were adopted by various corporate entities.

Gurmeet Chawla, additional director general (administration), said the previous scheme included a number of stakeholders and layers whereas the revamped scheme focused solely on ASI-protected monuments. “Earlier, there was not enough clarity on how the funds from revenue-generating activities such as light and sound shows or interpretation centres will be treated. Now, we have specified clearly that this is not a profit generating scheme and the funds generated will be used on the monument itself. We have also told them that we will give them credit in a limited manner at the monument in such a manner that the credit board gels with the aesthetics and ethos of the monument,” said Chawla