New National Museum in Delhi to display artefacts in chronological and thematic order

New National Museum in Delhi to display artefacts in chronological and thematic order

Sub : History

Sec: Art and Culture

Context:

• The North and South Blocks in New Delhi, currently housing key government ministries, are being repurposed to accommodate the new National Museum as part of the Central Vista redevelopment plan.
• The new museum is named ‘Yug Yugeen Bharat’, symbolizing “Eternal India.”
• India has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with France for the development of the museum.

Features:

• The North Block will feature a chronological arrangement of artefacts across approximately 250 galleries, while the South Block will have thematic displays focusing on subjects like literature, architecture, and art.
• Additional features include augmented reality galleries, educational centres, and children’s corners.
• The museum will house 25,000–30,000 artefacts, making it the largest such museum globally.

Adaptive Reuse:

• North Block and South Block will undergo retrofitting to transform them into world-class museum spaces while preserving their architectural heritage.
• This approach mirrors France’s ‘Grand Projects’ initiative, which successfully converted government buildings into cultural landmarks (e.g., Louvre Museum, Grand Palais, Hôtel de la Marine).

Office Relocation:

• North Block currently houses the Ministries of Finance and Home Affairs.
• South Block houses the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Defence, and the Ministry of External Affairs.
• These offices are being relocated to the Common Central Secretariat (CCS) building on Janpath.