Secretary Vivek Aggarwal inaugurated a one-month training program for newly recruited Senior Conservation Assistants and Conservation Assistants at the Institute of Archaeology, aiming to transform it into an International Centre of Excellence.
Vivek Aggarwal, Secretary of the Ministry of Culture, inaugurated a one-month intensive training program for newly recruited Senior Conservation Assistants (Sr. CA) and Conservation Assistants (CA) at the Institute of Archaeology, Pt. Deendayal Upadhyaya Campus in Greater Noida on 15 SEP 2026. The training program is designed for 53 officers from various Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) Circles across the country. The revamped curriculum combines core archaeological practices with administrative decision-making, training officers in Government Financial Rules (GFR), administrative law, establishment procedures, manpower-management, and departmental inquiries. During his address to the trainees, Aggarwal emphasized the Institute's strategic shift towards becoming an International Centre of Excellence and the potential for India's protected monuments to serve as economic catalysts.
In this context, he highlighted the 'Monument Economy', stating that cultural heritage directly generates employment and contributes to national GDP by stimulating tourism, local transport, hospitality, artisan markets, light-and-sound shows, curated heritage walks, and public-private partnerships (PPPs).
ASI Director General, Shri Yadubir Singh Rawat, reiterated the governing conservation philosophy of 'Minimum intervention and Maximum retention'. He also announced that refresher courses for in-service ASI personnel and state archaeology department officials will soon follow this module.
The initiative signifies a significant milestone in the Institute's rejuvenation drive to fully utilize its 25-acre state-of-the-art campus. In addition, the Institute is being repositioned as a premier Archaeological training Institution, with aspirations of becoming comparable to the best training institutions worldwide.
Source:
Press Information Bureau
