Constitution of India · Part IV: Directive Principles of State Policy
Article 49: Protection of monuments and places and objects of national importance
In plain words
The State must protect every monument, place or object of artistic or historic interest declared by Parliament to be of national importance from damage, destruction, removal, disposal or export.
A simplified explanation, prepared with AI assistance from the official text below and checked automatically against it for numbers and cross-references. The official text is the law and prevails over this summary. Not legal advice.
Official text
It shall be the obligation of the State to protect every monument or place or object of artistic or historic interest, [declared by or under law made by Parliament] to be of national importance, from spoliation, disfigurement, destruction, removal, disposal or export, as the case may be.
Source: India Code (Legislative Department), the official text of the Constitution of India. As amended up to the Constitution (One Hundred and Sixth Amendment) Act, 2023. Text as on 10 September 2026. Words in square brackets [ ] were inserted or substituted by later amending Acts, and *** marks words omitted by an amendment. The amendment footnotes are not reproduced here. Official text on India Code.
Supreme Court judgments citing the article 49
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Industries Ltd. v. Union of India [2000] Supp. 4 SCR 44 : (2001) 1
The questions which arose for determination are as to what is the true nature of royalty determined u/s.9 r/w s.15(1) of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957; whether royalty is in the nature of…
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Priya Indoria v. State of Karnataka and Ors.
Whether the power of the High Court or the Court of Session to grant anticipatory bail u/s 438 CrPC could be exercised with respect to an FIR registered outside the territorial jurisdict ion of the said Court; and…
- Omaxe Ltd v. Balvinder Kaur Nijjar
- Omaxe Ltd v. Joginder Singh Nijjar & Anr
- Omaxe Ltd v. Jaswinder Singh & Anr
- Omaxe Ltd v. Joginder Singh Nijjar & Anr
- Resident’S Welfare Association and Another v. The Union Territory of Chandigarh and Others
- Skill Lotto Solutions Pvt. Ltd. v. Union of India & Ors.
- Shiv Darshan Singh v. Rakesh Tiwari, Director General, Archaeological Survey of India (Asi) & Ors.
- Sarika v. Administrator, Shri Mahakaleshwar Mandir Committee, Ujjain (M.P.) & Ors
- Subhas Datta v. Union of India and Ors.
- K. Guruprasad Rao v. State of Karnataka and Others
- Archaeological Survey of India v. Narender Anand and Others
- M.C.Mehta v. Union of India and Ors.
- Netai Bag and Ors. v. The State of West Bengal and Ors.
- M.I. Builders Pvt. Ltd. v. Radhey Shayam Sahu and Others
- Ramsharan Autyanuprasi & Anr v. Union of India & Ors.
- Smt. Indira Nehru Gandhi v. Shri Raj Narain