By — Shyamal Sinha

Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today said that, Government is providing adequate funds and resources to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) for archaeological excavations and conservation work in Nalanda.

 Local communities are involved in excavations and conservation work, which provide employment to local people along with enabling them to participate in the preservation of heritage.

 Nalanda has come up as a popular tourist destination, achieved through archaeological excavation, conservation of ancient structures, landscaping and environmental development for better presentation of monuments to visitors, providing various visitors facilities etc. Further, considering its Outstanding Universal Values, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has listed Nalanda on the World Heritage List in the year 2016.