The iconic North and South blocks of Raisina Hill in New Delhi are set to undergo phased repairs and restoration to accommodate the proposed ‘Yuge Yugeen Bharat Museum’.

Yuge Yugeen Bharat is a museum under construction in New Delhi, which will be the largest museum in the world, with an area of ​​117,000 square meters and 950 rooms.

It will be housed in the existing Secretariat buildings in the North and South Blocks and will replace the National Museum of India as the national museum.

This ambitious project aims to preserve the architectural heritage of the twin secretariat buildings, almost a century old, while creating a cutting-edge cultural repository.

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) is spearheading the restoration efforts, starting with the Northern Block in the initial phase.

The Central Public Works Department (CPWD), under MoHUA, recently obtained approval from the Heritage Conservation Committee (HCC) to undertake efforts to improve the longevity of the building.

“MoHUA is working on the schedule for release and restoration of the blocks. Renovations and renovations will be carried out gradually. The project will begin with the North Block after its evacuation,” an official said. quoted as said The new Indian Express.

The HCC reviewed and approved the proposal for “comprehensive restoration and repairs” of the North Block at a meeting held on October 24.

The approval was granted after the CPWD answered questions from the panel and made detailed submissions.

The restoration guidelines, outlined in the HCC minutes, emphasize maintaining the original heritage character of the buildings.

The CPWD has been directed to ensure that the repairs maintain the originality of the existing heritage building in terms of character, construction, color, shape and materials, and no external intervention is permitted, including painting heat resistant on the terrace.

The North and South Blocks are Grade I heritage properties and have been home to key ministries since independence.

Over the years, internal partitions were added to create more office space.

Currently, the Northern Block houses the Ministries of Interior, Finance and Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.

Along with the restoration efforts, the Ministry of Culture has initiated discussions to finalize the storyline and theme of the galleries and exhibitions to be showcased at the Yuge Yugeen Bharat Museum.

According to officials, the National Museum’s internal content committee held meetings to identify objects for display.

Read also: Global oil glut? Trump presidency expected to ease India’s grave woes