No temple under ASI protection is under debilitated condition: Govt
New Delhi (PTI): There are 3,696 centrally-protected monuments including temples under the jurisdiction of Archaeological Survey of India, and none of these temples is under a debilitated condition, the government told Parliament on Thursday.
The government was asked whether it is a fact that there are huge number of centuries-old temples in the country which are in "debilitated condition" and needs rejuvenation, and if the Centre has prepared a comprehensive list of such structures in consultation with state governments.
"No such list has been prepared by the ASI," Minister of Culture G Kishan Reddy in Rajya Sabha in his response to the question.
Asked if it is a fact that "there are huge number of centuries-old temples in the country which are in debilitated condition and need rejuvenation," the government only responded about ASI-protected sites.
"There are 3,696 centrally-protected monuments including temples under the jurisdiction of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in the country. There is no temple in debilitated condition under the jurisdiction of ASI and all are in good state of preservation," the minister said.
"The ASI takes up conservation work of monuments/sites including temples as per requirement and availability of resources, while following the National Conservation Policy, 2014," he added.
Necessary ASI staff is deployed for protection of historical monuments or sites including temples. If any encroachment is noticed, legal action is initiated against the violators as per the provisions prescribed under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958, the minister said in his response.
In response to a separate query, the Union culture minister said, there are 2,701 vacancies in the ASI, against the sanctioned strength of 8,778.
Asked about the number of posts which have been created in the last four years in the ASI, he said, "758 posts".
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NEET student hangs self in Rajasthan's Sikar
Jaipur (PTI): A student preparing for the NEET examination allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in a rented room in Rajasthan's Sikar on Friday, police said.
According to the police, the student allegedly hanged himself from a ceiling fan using his sister's scarf while one sister was attending coaching classes and the other was in the bathroom.
He had appeared in the NEET UG exam 2026, which was cancelled due to paper leak, they said.
Udyog Nagar SHO Rajesh Kumar said that the deceased, identified as Pradeep Meghwal, was a resident of Kanika ki Dhani village in Jhunjhunu's Gudha Gaudji area.
He had been living in a rented room in Sikar's Jaldhari Nagar area with his two sisters while preparing for NEET over the last three years.
His elder sister later found him hanging and informed the landlord and police after bringing him down, officials said.
The SHO said the body was kept at SK Hospital mortuary, and a postmortem had not been conducted.
The student's father, Rajesh Kumar Meghwal, told police that Pradeep's NEET examination had gone well and the family was expecting him to score around 650 marks.
Former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot expressed grief over the incident and linked it to anxiety among students after reports of irregularities and paper leaks in NEET 2026.
Pilot said repeated paper leak incidents and cancellation of examinations were affecting students' mental health and demanded a time-bound investigation and strict action against those responsible.
