Bill creates statutory heritage body, references 1977 UNESCO ratification

It aims to implement international commitments made under UNESCO conventions by creating a dedicated body to oversee these matters.

Who it concerns: The law affects the Central and State Governments (who appoint the Commission and notify sites), the National Commission for Heritage Sites (the new body), and any person who owns, possesses, or controls a heritage site (who must comply with the Commission's directions).

What the bill does

• Constitutes a National Commission for Heritage Sites as a body corporate with perpetual succession.
• Defines 'heritage site' to include cultural, natural, mixed, and cultural landscape sites of outstanding value.
• Empowers the Central Government to notify heritage sites and enter them into a roster maintained by the Commission.
• Specifies the composition of the Commission: a Chairperson, seven members, and a Member-Secretary, all appointed by the Central Government based on specific experience and integrity criteria.
• Sets a five-year term for the Chairperson and members, with a maximum age limit of 65 years.
• Outlines functions including recommending policies, laying down standards, conducting research, and nominating sites for the UNESCO World Heritage list.
• Grants the Commission power to issue directions to owners or controllers of heritage sites to provide access for maintenance or to stop acts that endanger the site.
• Prescribes penalties for failure to comply with the Commission's directions (text truncated before specifying the exact penalty).

Also in the document

• The Bill references India's ratification of the 1972 UNESCO Convention in 1977 as the basis for the legislation.
• It creates a new statutory body with the power to sue and be sued.
• The text provided is truncated and does not contain the full details of the penalties for non-compliance or the concluding sections of the Bill.