The Kohinoor diamond, estimated to cost over $200 million (Rs 1,465 crore), was neither stolen nor "forcibly" taken by British rulers but given to East India Company by erstwhile rulers of Punjab
The apex court also expressed concern over the historic monument being infected by insects and asked the authorities, including ASI, what steps they have taken to prevent this.
The Supreme Court agreed to hear on Friday a plea challenging the Allahabad high court order of conducting a 'scientific survey', including carbon dating, to determine the age of a 'Shivling' which was said to have been found at the Gyanvapi mosque complex in Varanasi.
'Under this amendment, in any dispute over Waqf properties, the Waqf Board cannot approach the court.' 'This is very surprising because the government instead of protecting Waqf properties they are snatching it away and not allowing them to go to court.' 'The third biggest landowner in India is the Waqf Board after the Indian Army and Indian Railways.'
Uttarakhand saw the sharpest decline (of 11 per cent) in the "total persons engaged" in manufacturing in the worst-hit pandemic year of 2020-21 as industrial units shut shop, according to the latest Annual Survey of Industries (ASI) data, released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI). This was followed by the decline in the workforce in states such as Jharkhand (8.9 per cent), West Bengal (8.3 per cent), Kerala (8 per cent), and Karnataka (7.8 per cent). The "total persons engaged" in an enterprise is defined as the sum of directly employed workers, supervisory or managerial workers, and the unpaid family members who might be engaged in the enterprise.
In what could be a turning point in the Ayodhya dispute, the Archaeological Survey of India has reported to the high court that its excavations found distinctive features of a 10th century temple beneath the Babri Mosque site.
Barely two weeks after she asked Archeological Survey of India's Director General Anshu Vaish to submit a report on her role in the filing of the controversial Ram Setu affidavit, Ambika Soni praising the ASI chief at a public function.
A team of experts of Archaeological Survey of India has found that the north eastern outer wall of the sanctum sanctorum of Kedarnath temple was slightly damaged at some places.
A Special Bench comprising Justice S R Alam, Justice Bhanwar Singh and Justice O P Srivastava, while passing the order, directed the concerned officials to lend all possible assistance to the ASI in the work.
The request for 15 days' time will come up before the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court on July 1.
The petitions filed by the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee (AIMC) and the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board had also challenged a Varanasi court order of April 8, 2021 to conduct a comprehensive survey of the Gyanvapi mosque.
The Supreme Court on Monday refused to interfere in the ongoing Archaeological Survey of India excavation for gold supposed to be buried under the ruins of a 19th century fort in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao district, saying it cannot pass an order on the basis of assumption.
A bench of Justices M R Shah and C T Ravikumar asked the petitioner to approach the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and make a representation before it.
Claiming the mausoleum of Sufi saint Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer was once a temple, a Hindu outfit has demanded a survey of the premises by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
Lal was the director general of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and had found temple-like pillars during excavation at the Ayodhya site where the Ram temple is now being built. Officials said that he was one of the youngest directors general of ASI and served from 1968 to 1972.
A MNS leader had in a tweet said the tomb should be destroyed.
These images of deities on pillars of the structure are not found in mosques and found in temples, the counsel for the deity told SC.
After MNS threat, some people in Khultabad area, where the tomb is located, tried to lock the structure.
A spoked copper wheel of the Kushana era, an arrowhead of Rajput period and coins dating from the Mughal reign are among a range of ancient artefacts unearthed in the latest excavation currently underway at the Purana Qila site in Delhi, a top official of the Archaeological Survey of India said on Tuesday.
The Allahabad high court on Monday fixed November 30 for hearing a revision petition challenging the Varanasi district judge's order by which the lower court had refused the demand of carbon dating of a 'Shivling' claimed to have been found in the Gyanvapi mosque complex.
"Four tourists were arrested for offering namaz at the mosque in Taj Mahal premises on Wednesday. Three of them are from Hyderabad and one is from Azamgarh. They have been booked under the section of 153 of IPC. They have been presented in the court," said Vikas Kumar, Superintendent of Police (City).
Congress local leader Rashid Khan on Tuesday claimed that prayers were earlier held at the Charminar, an Archeological Survey of India protected site, however, Muslims were debarred from offering prayers at the site two decades ago.
The plaintiffs had filed a suit in the lower court which had observed that they didn't have the right to sue.
The gold plating of the sanctum sanctorum was done under the supervision of the experts of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), he said.
The plea also sought carbon dating of the 'Shivling' to ascertain its age.
'During the nine years of BJP rule, not a single temple has been reconstructed.' 'They might have constructed the Ram temple as it is an emotional issue. But they are not much interested in issues like heritage.'
Wearing saffron scarves and holding saffron flags, the Bajrang Dal and VHP activists on motorcycles raised 'Jai Sriram' slogans.
'Rather than visiting famous monuments, travellers now prefer "experiential activities" such as biking, trekking/hiking, camping, river rafting, yachting, parasailing and zip lining; safaris and jungle adventures; and wellness holidays to rejuvenate themselves.'
Amid contentions from some sections that the Ayodhya verdict was based on faith and not evidence, senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader L K Advani opn Sunday said the report of the Archeological Survey of India has been the 'clincher' in the judgement of the Allahabad high court bench.
The order was passed by Justice Prakash Padia, who was hearing a petition filed by Anjuman Intazamia Masazid, Varanasi.
A court in New Delhi on Tuesday reserved its order on an intervention application claiming the intervenor was a "necessary party" to an appeal seeking restoration of Hindu and Jain deities in an alleged temple complex inside the Qutub Minar.
The efforts drew the spontaneous appreciation of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
Average wages paid by listed companies is more than twice the salaries paid by other enterprises, points out Mahesh Vyas.
He also said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to take part in an event related to the pran pratishtha on any day during January 20-24.
As many as 3,691 centrally-protected monuments and archaeological sites maintained by the ASI were shut from March 17 in view of the coronavirus crisis.
'The non-vegetarian share of the population fell from 75 to 71 per cent between 2004 and 2014, no doubt in anticipation of the lotus blooming.' 'Three years of saffron authoritarianism may have thinned the non-vegetarian ranks even more,' says Sunanda K Datta-Ray.