Ranivas Mound Declared Site of National Importance

The Central Government has declared Ranivas Mound at Kesariya in Bihar’s East Champaran district an archaeological site and remains of national importance. The Ministry of Culture issued the gazette notification, dated 4 November. The mound covers 1.63 acres and is owned by the Bihar Government.

Notification and protection

The notification was signed by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) Director General Yadubir Singh Rawat under Section 4(3) of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958. A recommendation to include the mound as a centrally protected monument was sent to ASI headquarters in 2021.

The notification states that copies were made available to the public on 8 June 2026 and that no objections were received. This public-availability date precedes the stated 4 November notification date; the two dates are inconsistent.

Important Facts for Exams

• Mound conservation: The ASI maintains ancient mounds and similar sites that represent remains of ancient habitation, a category relevant to Ranivas Mound.
• Act’s scope: The 1958 Act covers preservation of nationally important remains, regulation of archaeological excavations and protection of sculptures, carvings and similar objects.
• Archaeological age threshold: Under the Act, an archaeological site and remains must contain, or reasonably be believed to contain, historical or archaeological relics at least one hundred years old.
• Protected-area construction controls: Under the 2010 amendments, construction is generally prohibited within 100 metres of a protected monument; the next 200 metres form a regulated area requiring permission.