A question of heritage: PPPs for monument upkeep need checks and balances

So far, public sector units that have bankrolled monuments have been fairly unobtrusive in their branding at these sites

Few Indians will disagree that visits to Indian historical monuments are uncomfortable experiences. Basic amenities that tourists take for granted in other parts of Asia are lacking and lax vigilance produces the defacing effect of gratuitous graffiti. Overall, the lack of funds for upkeep and tourism infrastructure is all too evident on the part of the tourism ministry and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the key institution responsible for the preservation of such monuments. To tide over this chronic deficit, which arises mostly from the need to keep domestic ticket prices low, the National Democratic Alliance hit upon the