Skip to main content

The Antiquities and Art Treasures Act, 1972

Central

An Act to regulate the export trade in antiquities and art treasures, to provide for the prevention of smuggling of, and fraudulent dealings in, antiquities, to provide for the compulsory acquisition of antiquities and art treasures for preservation in public places and to provide for certain other matters connected therewith or incidental or ancillary thereto.

Act number
52 of 1972
Ministry
Ministry of Culture
Enacted
9 Sep 1972

Source: IndiaCode Portal, Legislative Department, Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India. Open on India Code Check against the official text before relying on it.

33 sections

  1. Section 1Short title, extent and commencement.
  2. Section 2Definitions.
  3. Section 3Regulation of export trade in antiquities and art treasures.
  4. Section 4Application of Act 52 of 1962.
  5. Section 5Antiquities to be sold only under a licence.
  6. Section 6Appointment of licensing officers.
  7. Section 7Application for licence.
  8. Section 8Grant of licence.
  9. Section 9Renewal of licence.
  10. Section 10Maintenance of records, photographs and registers by licensees.
  11. Section 11Revocation, suspension and amendment of licences.
  12. Section 12Persons whose licences have been revoked may sell antiquities to other licensees.
  13. Section 13Power of Central Government to carry on the business of selling antiquities to the exclusion of others.
  14. Section 14Registration of antiquities.
  15. Section 15Appointment of registering officers.
  16. Section 16Application for registration and grant of certificate of registration.
  17. Section 17Transfer of ownership, etc., of antiquities to be intimated to the registering officer.
  18. Section 18Provisions of sections 14, 16 and 17 not to apply in certain cases.
  19. Section 19Power of Central Government to compulsorily acquire antiquities and art treasures.
  20. Section 20Payment of compensation for antiquities and art treasures compulsorily acquired under section 19.
  21. Section 21Appeals against decisions of licensing officers and registering officers.
  22. Section 22Appeals against awards of arbitrators.
  23. Section 23Powers of entry, search, seizure, etc.
  24. Section 24Power to determine whether or not an article, etc., is antiquity or art treasure.
  25. Section 25Penalty.
  26. Section 26Cognizance of offences.
  27. Section 27Magistrate’s power to impose enhanced penalties.
  28. Section 28Offences by companies.
  29. Section 29Protection of action taken in good faith.
  30. Section 30Application of other laws not barred.
  31. Section 31Power to make rules.
  32. Section 32Repeal.
  33. Section 33Amendment of Act 24 of 1958.