ANTIQUITIES AND ART TREASURES ACT, 1972
(1) This Act may be called The Antiquities and Art Treasures Act, 1972.
(2) it extends to the whole of India.
(3) It shall come into force on such date1 as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint and different dates may be appointed for different provisions of this Act and for different States and any reference in any such provision to the commencement of this Act shall be construed as a reference to the coming into force of that provision.
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Came into force on 5-4-1976 throughout India (except the State of Sikkim, vide G.S.R. 279 (E), dated 5-4-1976.
In Sikkim sections 2, 3, 4, 19, 20, 22, 24, sub-section (1) of section
(1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—
(a) “antiquity” includes—
(I) (i) any coin, sculpture, painting, epigraph or other work of art or craftsmanship;
(ii) any article, object or thing detached from a building or cave;
(iii) any article, object or thing illustrative of science, art, crafts, literature, religion, customs, morals or politics in bygone ages;
(iv) any article, object or thing of historical interest;
(v) any article, object or thing declared by the Central Government, by notification in the Official Gazette, to be an antiquity for the purposes of this Act,
which has
(1) On and form the commencement of this Act, it shall not be lawful for any person, other than the Central Government or any authority or agency authorized by the Central Government in this behalf, to export and antiquity or art treasure.
(2) Whenever the Central Government or any authority or agency referred to in sub-section (1) intends to export any antiquity or art treasure such export shall be made only under and in accordance with the terms and conditions of a permit issued for the purpose by such authority as may be prescribed.
(1) On and from the commencement of this Act, it shall not be lawful for any person, other than the Central Government or any authority or agency authorized by the Central Government in this behalf, to export any antiquity or art treasure.
(2) Whenever the Central Government or any authority or agency referred to in sub-section (1) intends to export any antiquity or art treasure such export shall be made only under and in accordance with the terms and conditions of a permit issued for the purpose by such authority as may be prescribed.
1[As from the date of expiry of a period of six months from the commencement of this Act] no person shall, himself or by any other person on his behalf, carry on the business of selling or offering to sell any antiquity except under and in accordance with the terms and conditions of a licence granted under section 8.
Explanation.—In this section and in sections 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17 and 18 “antiquity” does not include ancient and historical records other than those declared by or under law made by Parliament to be of national importance.
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1. Subs. by Act 82 of 1976, sec. 2, for “On and from the expiry of period of two months of the commencement of this Act” (w.r.e.f. 4-6-1976).
The Central Government may, by notified order,—
(a) appoint such persons, being gazetted officers of Government, as it thinks fit, to be licensing officers for the purposes of this Act;
(b) define the limits of the area within which a licensing officer shall exercise the powers conferred on licensing officers by or under this Act.
(1) Any person desiring to carry on, himself or by any other person on his behalf, the business of selling or offering to sell antiquities may make an application for the grant of a licence to the licensing officer having jurisdiction.
(2) Every application under sub-section (1) shall be made in such form and shall contain such particulars as may be prescribed.
(1) On receipt of an application for the grant of a licence under section 7, the licensing officer may, after holding such inquiry as he deems fit, grant a licence to the applicant having regard to the following factors, namely:—
(a) the experience of the applicant with respect to trade in antiquities;
(b) the village, town or city where the applicant intends to carry on business;
(c) the number of persons already engaged in the business of selling, or offering for sale of antiquities in the said village, town or city; and
(d) such other factors as may be prescribed:
Provided that no licence shall be granted to the applicant if he is convicted of an offence punishable under the Antiquities (Export Contro
(1) A licence granted under section 8 may, on an application made by the licensee, be renewed by the licensing officer for such period and on payment of such fees as may be prescribed.
(2) No application made under this section shall be rejected unless the applicant has been given a reasonable opportunity of being heard in the matter.
(1) Every holder of a licence granted under section 8 or renewed under section 9 shall maintain such records, photographs and registers, in such manner and containing such particulars, as may be prescribed.
(2) Every record, photograph and register maintained under sub-section (1) shall, at all reasonable times, be open to inspection by the licensing officer or by any other gazetted officer of Government authorised in writing by the licensing officer in this behalf.
(1) If the licensing officer is satisfied either on a reference made to him in this behalf or otherwise that—
(a) a licence granted under section 8 has been obtained by misrepresentation of an essential fact, or
(b) the holder of a licence has, without reasonable cause, failed to comply with the conditions subject to which the licence has been granted or has contravened any of the provisions of this Act or the rules made thereunder,
then, without prejudice to any other penalty to which the holder of the licence may be liable under this Act, the licensing officer may, after giving the holder of the licence an opportunity of showing cause, revoke or suspend the licence.
(2) Subject to any rules that may be made in this behalf, the licensing officer
Notwithstanding anything contained in section 5, any person whose licence has been revoked under section 11 may, after making a declaration before the licensing officer, within such period, in such form and in the such manner, as may be prescribed, of all the antiquities in his ownership, control or possession immediately before such revocation, sell such antiquities to any other person holding a valid licence under this Act:
Provided that no such antiquity shall be sold after the expiry of a period of six months from the date of revocation of the licence.
(1) If the Central Government is of opinion that with a view to conserving antiquities or in the public interest it is necessary or expedient so to do, it may, by notification in the Official Gazette, declare that with effect on and from such date as may be specified in the notification, the Central Government or any authority or agency authorised by the Central Government in this behalf shall alone be entitled to carry on the business of selling or offering for sale of antiquities.
(2) On the issue of a notification under sub-section (1),—
(a) it shall not be lawful for any person, authority or agency, other than the Central Government or any authority or agency authorized by the Central Government, to carry on the business of selling or offering for sale any antiquity on and from the date specified therein;
(1) The Central Government may, from time to time, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify those antiquities which shall be registered under this Act.
(2) In specifying the antiquities under sub-section (1), the Central Government shall have regard to the following factors, namely:—
(i) the necessity for conserving the objects of art;
(ii) the need to preserve such objects within India for the better appreciation of the cultural heritage of India;
(iii) such other factors as will, or are likely to, contribute to the safeguarding of the cultural heritage of India.
(3) Every person who owns, controls or is in possession of any antiquity specified in the notification issued under sub-section (1)
The Central Government may, by notified order,—
(a) appoint such persons, as it thinks fit, to be registering officers for the purposes of this Act; and
(b) define the limits of the area within which a registering officer shall exercise the powers conferred on registering officers by or under this Act.
(1) Every person required to register any antiquities before the registering officer under section 14 shall make an application to the registering officer for the grant of a certificate of registration.
(2) Every application under sub-section (1) 1[shall in the case of such antiquities or class of antiquities as the Central Government may, by notification in the official Gazette, specify, be accompanied] by such photographs of the antiquity which is to be registered and by such number or copies, not exceeding six, as may be prescribed and shall be made in such form and shall contain such particulars as may be prescribed.
(3) On receipt of an application under sub-section (1), the registering officer may, after holding such inquiry as he deems fit, grant a certificate of registration containing such particulars as may be prescribed.
&n
Whenever any person transfers the ownership, control or possession of any antiquity specified in any notification issued under sub-section (1) of section 14 such person shall intimate, within such period and in such form as may be prescribed the fact of such transfer to the registering officer.
Nothing in section 14 or section 16 or section 17 shall apply to any antiquity kept—
(i) in a museum; or
(ii) in an office; or
(iii) in an archive; or
(iv) in an educational or cultural institution,
owned, controlled or managed by the Government. 1[or by any local authority or by any such body as the Central Government may, for reasons to be recorded in writing approve for the purpose of this section by general or special order].
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1. Ins. by Act 82 of 1976, sec. 4 (w.r.e.f. 4-6-1976).
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(1) If the Central Government is of opinion that it is desirable to preserve any antiquity or art treasure in a public place, that Government may make an order for the compulsory acquisition of such antiquity or art treasure.
(2) On the making of an order under sub-section (1) the Collector of the district in which such antiquity or art treasure is kept shall give notice to the owner thereof intimating him of the decision of the Central Government to acquire the same and it shall be lawful for the Collector to take possession of such antiquity or art treasure, for which purpose the Collector may use such force as may be necessary.
(3) Where the owner of any antiquity or art treasure, the possession of which has been taken over by the Collector under sub-section (2) objects to the taking over of such possession, he may, within a period
(1) Where any antiquity or art treasure is compulsorily acquired under section 19, there shall be paid compensation, the amount of which shall be determined in the manner and in accordance with the principles hereinafter set out, that is to say,—
(a) where the amount of compensation can be fixed by agreement, it shall be paid in accordance with such agreement;
(b) where no such agreement can be reached, the Central Government shall appoint as arbitrator a person who is, or has been, or is qualified for appointment as, a Judge of a High Court;
(c) the Central Government may, in any particular case, nominate a person having expert knowledge as to the nature of the antiquity or art treasure compulsorily acquired to assist the arbitrator and where such nomination is made, the person to be
(1) Any person aggrieved by a decision of a licensing officer under section 8 or section 9 or section 11 or by a decision of a registering officer under section 16 may, within thirty days from the date on which the decision is communicated to him, prefer an appeal to such authority as may be prescribed:
Provided that the appellate authority may entertain the appeal after the expiry of the said period of thirty days, if it is satisfied that the appellant was prevented by sufficient cause from filing the appeal in time.
(2) On receipt of an appeal under sub-section (1), the appellate authority shall, after giving the appellant and opportunity of being heard, pass such orders as it deems fit.
Any person aggrieved by an award of the arbitrator made under section 20 may, within thirty days from the date on which the award is communicated to him, prefer an appeal to the High Court within whose jurisdiction he resides:
Provided that the High Court may entertain the appeal after the expiry of the said period of thirty days if it is satisfied that the appellant was prevented by a sufficient cause from filing the appeal in time.
(1) Any person, being an officer of Government, authorized in this behalf by the Central Government, may, with a view to securing compliance with the provisions of this Act or to satisfying himself that the provisions of this Act have been complied with—
(i) enter and search any place;
(ii) seize any antiquity or art treasure in respect of which he suspects that any provision of this Act has been, is being, or is about to be, contravened and thereafter take all measures necessary for securing the production of the antiquity or art treasure so seized in a court and for its safe custody, pending such production.
(2) The provisions of sections 102 and 103 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898 (5 of 1898)* relating to search and seizure shall, so far as may be, apply to searches and seizu
If any question arises whether any article, object or thing or manuscript, record or other document is or is not an antiquity or is or is not an art treasure for the purposes of this Act, it shall be referred to the Director General, Archaeological Survey of India, or to an officer not below the rank of a Director in the Archaeological Survey of India authorized by the Director General, Archaeological Survey of India and the decision of the Director General, Archaeological Survey of India or such officer, as the case may be, on such question shall be final.
(1) If any person, himself or by any other person on his behalf, exports or attempts to export any antiquity or art treasure in contravention of section 3, he shall, without prejudice to any confiscation or penalty to which he may be liable under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962 (52 of 1962) as applied by section 4, be punishable with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than six months but which may extend to three years and with fine.
(2) if any person contravenes the provisions of section 5 or section 12 or sub-section (2) or sub-section (3) of section 13 or section 14 or section 17, he shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months or with fine or with both and the antiquity in respect of which the offence has been committed shall be liable to confiscation.
(3) If any person prevents
(1) No prosecution for an offence under sub-section (1) of section 25 shall be instituted except by or with the sanction of such officer of Government as may be prescribed in this behalf.
(2) No court shall take cognizance of an offence punishable under sub-section (2) or sub-section (3) or section 25 except upon complaint in writing made by an officer generally or specially authorized in this behalf by the Central Government.
(3) No court inferior to that of a Presidency Magistrate or a Magistrate of the First Class shall try any offence punishable under this Act.
Notwithstanding anything contained in section 32 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898*, it shall be lawful for any Presidency Magistrate or any Magistrate of the First Class to pass any sentence under this Act in excess of his power under section 32 of the said Code.*
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* See Now section 29 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974).
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(1) Where an offence under this Act has been committed by a company, every person who at the time the offence was committed was in charge of, or was responsible to, the company for the conduct of the business of the company, as well as the company, shall be deemed to be guilty of the offence and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly:
Provided that nothing contained in this sub-section shall render any such person liable to any punishment under this Act if he proves that the offence was committed without his knowledge or that he exercised all due diligence to prevent the commission of such offence.
(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), where an offence under this Act has been committed with the consent or connivance of, or is attributable to, any neglect on the part of any director, manager,
No suit, prosecution or other legal proceeding shall lie against the Government or any officer of the Government for anything which is in good faith done or is intended to be done under this Act.
The provisions of this Act shall be in addition to, and not in derogation of, the provisions of the Ancient Monuments Preservation Act, 1904 (7 of 1904) or the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958, (24 of 1958) or any other law for the time being in force.
(1) The Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, make rules for the purpose of giving effect to the provisions of this Act.
(2) In particular and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing power, such rules may provide for—
(a) the authority for issue of permit under sub-section (2) of section 3;
(b) the form in which an application for the grant of a licence may be made under sub-section (1) of section 7 and the particulars which such application shall contain;
(c) the factors to which regard may be had while granting a licence under sub-section (1) of section 8;
(d) the fees on payment of which, the period for which, the conditions subject to which and the f
(1) The Antiquities (Export Control) Act, 1947 (3 of 1947) is hereby repealed.
(2) For the removal of doubts it is hereby declared that every licence issued under section 3 of the Act repealed under sub-section (1) and in force at the commencement of this Act shall, notwithstanding that the period specified therein has no expired, cease to be in force.
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