The Ministry of Culture told Lok Sabha that India treats the repatriation of antiquities as a continuous process and uses diplomatic and enforcement channels to trace and recover cultural objects surfaced abroad. The reply is relevant for UPSC because it connects heritage protection, police action, border vigilance, and international cooperation in one policy area.
What the Union government said
According to the Ministry of Culture, theft prevention at Centrally Protected Monuments, Sites, and Museums relies on regular watch and ward staff, private security guards, and the Central Industrial Security Force as required. When an antiquity theft is reported, the Union government lodges a first information report and issues a Look out Notice to law-enforcement agencies, including Custom Exit Channels, to trace the stolen object and prevent export.
The Ministry of Culture also said that repatriation is done with the help of the Ministry of External Affairs and Indian embassies and missions whenever an antiquity is traced or surfaced abroad.
Recent theft cases from Centrally Protected Monuments
The reply listed theft cases from the last five years. Some objects were recovered, while some remain unrecovered.
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