Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH)

The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) was founded in 1984 in New Delhi with the vision to spearhead heritage awareness and conservation in India. Today INTACH is recognized as one of the world’s largest heritage organisations, with more than 190 Chapters across the country. Over decades, INTACH has pioneered in the conservation, restoration and preservation of not just our natural and built heritage but intangible heritage as well. Headquartered in New Delhi, it operates through various divisions such as Architectural Heritage, Natural Heritage, Material Heritage, Intangible Cultural Heritage, Heritage Education and Communication Services (HECS), Crafts and Community Cell, Chapters, INTACH Heritage Academy, Heritage Tourism, Listing Cell and Library, Archives and Documentation Centre. 

Mission:

INTACH’s mission to conserve heritage is based on the belief that living in harmony with heritage enhances the quality of life, and it is the duty of every citizen of India as laid down in the Constitution of India. The objectives spelt out in the Memorandum of Association constitute INTACH’s Mandate and Vision. Its stated mission to date continues to be:

• • Sensitise the public about the pluralistic cultural legacy of India
  • Instil a sense of social responsibility towards preserving India’s common heritage
  • Protect and preserve India’s living, built, and natural heritage by undertaking necessary actions and measures
  • Document unprotected buildings of archaeological, architectural, historic and aesthetic significance, as well as the cultural resources, as this is the first step towards formulating conservation plans
  • Develop heritage policies and regulations, and make legal interventions to protect India’s heritage when necessary
  • Provide expertise in the field of conservation, restoration and preservation of specific works of art; and encourage capacity-building by developing skills through training programmes
  • Undertake emergency response measures during natural or man-made disasters and support the local administration whenever heritage is threatened
  • Foster collaborations, Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) and partnerships with government and other national and international agencies
  • Generate sponsorships for conservation and educational projects

To achieve the above-stated mission, at subsequent Visioning Exercises further measures were spelt out:

• • INTACH must widen and strengthen its base so as to involve people in caring for our common heritage, as outlined in the objectives of the Memorandum of Association of the Society
  • INTACH should develop into a highly competent and efficient organisation of first recourse in all matters concerning Built (Architectural), Natural, Art (Material), Intangible (Living) Heritage in the country by building the requisite professional and other skills, both at its Central Office and at the Chapter level
  • INTACH should strive to become the primary advisor on all matters pertaining to protection, conservation and preservation of heritage for the central government, the state governments (including institutions, agencies and organisations under them, such as the Armed Forces), and for institutions of decentralised governance such as the Panchayati Raj Institutions in the rural areas, for the urban local bodies (municipalities, metropolitan authorities, cantonment boards, etc.), and also the Corporate and Public Sectors
  • INTACH should put into place an effective system of networking with other like-minded organisations and build a mutual support system