The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Dr. Budha Rashmi Mani, former Additional Director General, Archaeological Survey of India as the Director General of the National Museum in New Delhi.
The appointment is on contract for a period of three years or till attaining the age of seventy (70) years or until further orders, whichever is the earliest.
The museum at present holds approximately two lakh objects of a diverse nature, from across the country as well as abroad, and its holdings cover a time span of more than five thousand years of Indian cultural heritage.
About Dr. Budha Rashmi Mani
- He was head of the ASI’s team to excavate the disputed Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid site in March 2003, following a High Court order. However, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court had in May that year directed the Archaeological Survey of India to replace Mani with a new official.
- Budha Rashmi Mani is retired as Additional Director General (ADG) of the ASI in 2015. He is BHU (Banaras Hindu University) alumnus and holds PhD on the Kushanas.
- During his 30-year stint with the ASI, he led excavations in Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.
- He is also serving as the General Secretary of the Indian Archaeological Society (IAS). He edits the journal Puratattva of IAS.
