Bhubaneswar, Oct 16: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is mulling to introduce a fellowship in universities to draw more students into research on archaeological wealth of various sites following a shortage of archaeology professionals.
The matter is under consideration of the Ministry of Culture, said ASI director general Kishore Kumar Basa addressing a two-day workshop ‘Looking Beyond - Vision Statement for Excavations By 2035’ that began in Bhubaneswar on Sunday.
The fellowship will aim at atttracting postgraduate students of archaeology departments in universities to help ASI in excavations and conservation of protected monuments, he added.
The workshop, organized by ASI, aims at preparing a vision document on scope and possibility of archaeological excavations in the eastern states of India by 2035.
Archaeologists from West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha have taken part in the workshop.
The ASI DG, who inaugurated the workshop, urged the national conservation agency to carry out more excavations and dig out the rich archaeological wealth in the eastern region with the help of universities and research organizations.
