Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat told the Rajya Sabha on Thursday that the government has no proposal under consideration to change the name of the taj mahal. He also said the Modi government has nearly doubled funds for excavation in the last 10 years and that conservation spending rose from Rs 1, 310 crore (2004–2014) to Rs 3, 713 crore in the most recent decade, framing the ministry’s priorities.
Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in Rajya Sabha
Shekhawat answered a supplementary query from John Brittas of the CPI-M during Question Hour about reports in the media on the taj mahal’s name, telling the House, “There is no such idea of changing any name under consideration of the ministry. ” The exchange ties the ministry’s public position directly to parliamentary scrutiny and suggests ministers felt compelled to make a definitive denial to end speculation raised by media reports.
Taj Mahal Name Clarified
The minister’s explicit statement — that no proposal is under consideration — is the confirmed development on the Taj Mahal’s name. That clarity removes any immediate administrative pathway for renaming, because a lack of a formal proposal means no interdepartmental process or ASI action on a name change has been initiated in the ministry’s records as presented in the House.
Modi government excavation funding
Shekhawat told the Rajya Sabha that in the last 10 years nearly double the funds were spent on excavation activities compared with the prior 10 years, and that conservation outlays grew from Rs 1, 310 crore between 2004 and 2014 to Rs 3, 713 crore in the last decade. The figures point to a shift in resource allocation toward uncovering and preserving sites rather than pursuing renaming exercises, and they provide a fiscal signal about the ministry’s operational emphasis.
He added that excavations are a continuous process dependent on available human resources and that support from state governments would help speed up excavation activities. In a written reply to a starred question, Shekhawat said the Archaeological Survey of India maintains 135 monuments and archaeological sites declared of national importance in West Bengal; that detail links central funding priorities to on-the-ground conservation workloads in one state.
Separately, the ministry has launched a scheme to involve the corporate sector in conservation projects and noted that four protected monuments in West Bengal under ASI charge an entry fee for visitors. The inclusion of corporate participation and user fees suggests the ministry is broadening funding channels for conservation beyond direct budgetary allocations.
The specific open question left in the House is whether the West Bengal government will increase its support for excavations and conservation, a condition Shekhawat named as necessary to accelerate work; if the state government provides that support, the data presented by the minister suggests excavation activity in the state could expand more rapidly.
