Directive Principles
It shall be the obligation of the State to protect every monument or place or object of artistic or historic interest, declared by or under law made by Parliament to be of national importance, from spoliation, disfigurement, destruction, removal, disposal or export, as the case may be.
The government has an obligation to protect monuments, places, and objects of artistic or historic value that Parliament has declared to be of national importance, from being damaged, destroyed, illegally removed, or exported.
This is the constitutional basis for the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, and for the Archaeological Survey of India's (ASI) role in protecting heritage sites like the Taj Mahal and other nationally protected monuments.