On Wednesday, the Union Cabinet approved a plan to turn Delhi's historic North and South Blocks into a major museum.
It is called the Yuge Yugeen Bharat Museum. The estimated cost is Rs 3,230 crore.
The Cabinet meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Ministry of Culture will develop the museum.
The two buildings stand near Rashtrapati Bhavan, on Raisina Hill.
Key points
- The Cabinet approved the Rs 3,230 crore museum on Wednesday.
- It will use North and South Blocks, which once housed key government ministries.
- The Centre says it will have the world's largest museum display area.
- The first gallery is expected to open in North Block in late 2027.
What will the museum show?
The museum will have public galleries on India's art, architecture and knowledge traditions.
PM Modi said it will show thousands of years of heritage. That includes mathematics, astronomy, languages and spirituality.
The proposed built-up area is about 1.78 lakh square metres. Built-up area means the total space covered by buildings.
The Centre says it can handle up to one crore visitors a year.
The museum will also have space to store and protect its collections. It will have areas for learning and research too.
So why is the display area such a big claim?
Display area is the space where objects are shown to visitors.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the museum's display area is expected to be bigger than famous museums.
He compared it with the Louvre in Paris, which has about 73,000 square metres of display space.
The British Museum has around 70,000 square metres. The Hermitage Museum has nearly 66,800 square metres.
sq m
Graphic: News Anek, from the facts in this report
The project will also draw on France's experience.
There, historic buildings such as the Louvre were turned into major museums.
What happens next, and what else did the Cabinet approve?
The project will be carried out in phases from 2026-27 to 2030-31.
The first gallery, on the theme of adornment, is expected in North Block in late 2027.
The Cabinet also approved a separate farm decision.
It approved Rs 62,370 crore in fertiliser subsidy for the Rabi season, from October 2026 to March 31, 2027.
The retail price of DAP will stay at Rs 1,350 per 50-kg bag.
If you are a farmer buying DAP this season, the price will not change.
The Cabinet also extended credit guarantee support for small business loans until March 31, 2031.
