National Mission on Monuments and Antiquities (NMMA)

Why in News?

The National Mission on Monuments and Antiquities (NMMA) has successfully documented 1.84 lakh monuments (Built Heritage & Sites) and 17.20 lakh antiquities across India.

• Aim - To prepare two national registers for documentation and digitization of unprotected monuments (Built Heritage & Sites) and antiquities across India.
• To ensure standardized, accurate, and accessible records of India’s cultural heritage.
• Established in –2007 under the 11^th Five-Year Plan.
• Nodal Ministry – Ministry of Culture.
• Implementing Agency – Archaeological Survey of India.
• Core Objectives - Documentation of unprotected monuments and antiquities.
• Digitization of records for public access.
• Establishment of uniform formats (20 parameters for monuments, 21 for antiquities).
• Capacity building through workshops and training programs for universities, colleges, NGOs, and other organizations.
• Awareness generation about heritage conservation and documentation.
• Using documentation as a landmark step against the illicit trafficking of Indian antiquities.
• Categorization of Documented Antiquities
• The database includes a wide array of man-made materials, such as
  • Ancient Tools- Palaeoliths, microliths, and neoliths.
  • Artistic Objects- Sculptures, terracotta, paintings, and textiles.
  • Historical Records- Inscriptions, seals, sealings, coins, and coin moulds.
  • Diverse Materials- Items made of metal, stone, glass, wood, ivory, and bone.
• Progress and Achievements - Documented 1.84 lakh monuments (Built Heritage & Sites).
• Documented 17.20 lakh antiquities.
• Related Initiatives - Indian Heritage Mobile App – Launched in September 2023 this serves as a single access platform for high-resolution images and geo-tagged locations of protected national monuments.
• Adopt A Heritage (AAH) 2.0 –Launched in 2026 to engage private and public sector companies to provide non conservational amenities like cleaning drinking water and signage at protected sites.
• Retrieval of Antiquities – As of late 2025 the ASI has successfully retrieved 655 antiquities from foreign countries since 1976.
• Aligns with - India’s obligations under UNESCO conventions on cultural heritage.

References

1. PIB | NMMA
2. NMMA | NMMA