February 15, 2023 12:10 am | Updated 09:58 am ISTSporadically, but surely, palaeontologists report intriguing discoveries from India. To that end, the draft Geo-heritage Sites and Geo-relics (Preservation and Maintenance) Bill, 2022, piloted by the Ministry of Mines, is seen as a step to give the process of such conservation firmer footing. They demand a more inclusive body, on the lines of a National Geoheritage Authority, that can, more democratically, decide on declaring sites as being of ‘geohistorical’ importance and how best to preserve artefacts and finds. The government, it is learnt, is still far from introducing the Bill in Parliament and deliberating on several aspects. Given the premium for land and India’s economic needs, there will be conflict over questions of preservation and livelihood, but any legislation must endeavour to balance these forces and enable consensus.

Source: The Hindu February 15, 2023 01:30 UTC