Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)

The Archaeological Survey of India is the premier archaeological body of India, operating under the Ministry of Culture.

Founding and mandate:

• Established 1861 by Alexander Cunningham as its first Director-General.
• Mandate: Archaeological research, excavation and exploration, conservation and maintenance of centrally protected monuments and sites, regulation of antiquities trade (under the Antiquities and Art Treasures Act 1972).

Protected Monuments:

• ASI maintains 3,693 centrally protected monuments under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act (AMASR Act) 1958.
• Bhojshala-Kamal Maula complex is an ASI-protected monument.

ASI's role in religious disputes:

• In Ayodhya, the Supreme Court (2019) relied on an ASI survey (ordered in 2003) that found the remains of a large pre-existing structure beneath the Babri Masjid.
• In Bhojshala, the MP High Court ordered an ASI scientific survey in March 2024. The ASI submitted its report, and the 1,700+ antiquities found — including temple iconography — became the evidentiary basis for the ruling.
• ASI surveys in such disputes are court-ordered and use ground-penetrating radar, excavation, photogrammetry, and artifact analysis.