The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) is a voluntary membership organization founded in 1984, to protect and preserve India’s heritage. The Delhi Chapter is one of the over 200 chapters of INTACH spread around the country.
INTACH’s mission to conserve heritage is based on the belief that living in harmony with heritage enhances the quality of life, and is the duty of every citizen of India as laid down in the Constitution of India. As per the objectives spelt out in the Memorandum of Association constitute INTACH’s mandate and vision, the Delhi Chapter aims to:
1. Sensitize the public about the pluralistic cultural legacy of India
2. Instil a sense of social responsibility towards preserving India’s common heritage
3. Protect and preserve India’s living, built, and natural heritage by undertaking necessary actions and measures
4. Document unprotected buildings of archaeological, architectural, historic and aesthetic significance, as well as the cultural resources, as this is the first step towards formulating conservation plans
5. Develop heritage policies and regulations, and make legal interventions to protect India’s heritage when necessary
6. Provide expertise in the field of conservation, restoration and preservation of specific works of art; and encourage capacity-building by developing skills through training programmes
7. Undertake emergency response measures during natural or man-made disasters and support the local administration whenever heritage is threatened
8. Foster collaborations, Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) and partnerships with government and other national and international agencies
9. Generate sponsorships for conservation and educational projects
The Delhi Chapter has been working on many fronts over the years to fulfil the mandate and vision of INTACH.