New Delhi, Aug 8 (PTI) In the current year, the Archaeological Survey of India has been undertaking excavations at 22 sites across the country, the government said on Friday.

The Ministry of Culture in a statement also said it has come to the notice of the ASI that certain reports published by an independent media outlet regarding the budget and expenditure of the ASI are "misleading and do not reflect the factual position".

The report claimed that ASI's expenditure remained very low compared to its allocated budget in the last 10 years.

The ministry in its statement said the ASI operates six dedicated excavation branches located at Nagpur, Delhi, Patna, Bhubaneswar, Vadodara and Mysore, which are mandated to carry out archaeological exploration and excavation work annually.

In recent years, ASI Circles have also been authorised to conduct excavations, further augmenting the scale and scope of such activities, it said.

"The budget allocation for exploration and excavation has witnessed a substantial increase under the government of India. In 2024-25, an amount of Rs 15 crore has been allocated under this head -- an increase of about 2.3 times over the allocation of Rs 6.53 crore in 2014-15," the ministry said.

This enhancement underscores the government’s commitment to the preservation, research, and scientific study of the nation’s archaeological wealth, it added.

"In the current year alone, the ASI has been undertaking excavations at 22 sites across the country," the statement said.

Excavation is a meticulous and time-intensive process, with excavated materials, including artefacts and pottery, undergoing detailed scientific examination and analysis. The ASI's mandate is not merely to unearth sites but to produce comprehensive excavation reports, incorporating rigorous scientific findings to deepen the understanding of India’s cultural heritage, it said. PTI KND MNK MNK

Archaeological excavations receive increased funding and public scrutiny as agency rebuts misleading media spending claims. The Archaeological Survey of India is conducting excavations nationwide through six dedicated branches and authorised ASI Circles, expanding operational capacity; excavations are meticulous, with artefacts undergoing scientific examination and comprehensive excavation reports prepared. The Ministry of Culture rebuts media reports alleging low ASI expenditure, stating such accounts are misleading and noting that budgetary allocations for exploration and excavation have increased substantially to support preservation, research and scientific study of the nation's archaeological heritage.