ICOMOS India is a membership based organization that provides a forum where individuals and representatives of institutions concerned with the conservation, protection, rehabilitation and enhancement of cultural heritage sites and places can meet to exchange information and views on principles and practices in the field.
Membership is drawn from across the country, divided into six zones to ensure adequate regional representation. Regional members are represented on the Executive Committee by a Regional Representative.
ICOMOS India is steered at present by the following Executive Committee 2023 - 2026.
Archaeologist, historian, writer, Dr. Rima Hooja (Ph.D Cambridge), is Director Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum City Palace Jaipur; Director Jaigarh; Managing Trustee Jaipur Virasat Foundation; Visiting Professor SPA Delhi and CHM Ahmedabad University, former Vice-President ICOMOS India (2011-2014, & 2020-2023); former Member of India's National Monuments Authority, and former Member Central Advisory Board for Archaeology Govt of India. Books by her include Ahar Culture and Beyond; Prince, Patriot, Parliamentarian; Environment Degradation; Crusader for Self-Rule; Mandan's Devata-Murti-Prakarnam ; History of Rajasthan; Constructing Rajpootana-Rajasthan, (co-ed), Conserving Fortified Heritage (co-ed), Rajasthani Stories Retold, Rajasthan: A Concise History, Forts of Maharashtra (co-ed), and Maharana Pratap: The Invincible Warrior.
Shalini Dasgupta is a Conservation Architect based in New Delhi and runs a multi-disciplinary practice offering services in Architecture, Interior Design & Conservation for the last 24 years. She has received her formal training under internationally noted B.V Doshi, A.D Raje from CEPT, Ahmedabad and Conservation Studies from SPA, New Delhi. Since starting Heritage Conservation & Design Centre ( HCDC Designs ) in 1993, the firm has been focusing on adaptive reuse and putting historic buildings to contemporary use. The firm has a special interest and expertise in the field of hospitality with wide range of clients ranging from Claridges, Imperial, Lalit, ITC, Marriot, Hilton, Astor, etc.. Currently she is actively involved in the Urban Conservation of the Braj region and the Iconic sites of Kajuraho, Bodh Gaya & Hampi.
She is an active ICOMOS member, the Co-ordinator of the National Scientific Commitee on Documentation and Expert member of International Scientific Commitee, CIPA. Besides consultancy she is actively involved in imparting lectures on Conservation and creating awareness both at formal & informal level. She is also a visiting faculty at the Conservation Dept. SPA, New Delhi; Dept. of Fashion Communication, NIFT - New Delhi and Interior Architecture Department, Sushant School of Art & Architecture, Gurgaon.
Nitin Sinha is a Conservation Architect, Valuer, Arbitrator & Academician. Nitin Ranveer Sinha is a practioner with over 19 years of experience in architecture, heritage & conservation projects and has been working with both public and private sector. Interested in maters related to conflict resolution in heritage management and authored research papers encompassing sites management, stakeholders' involvement, dispute resolution etc.
He is currently ICOMOS India - National Secretary; ICLAFI Secretary General; Scientific Officer - ICOMOS International Advisory Commitee (AdCom) & Co-coordinator NSC LAFI.
Jana Chaudhuri is an Urban Heritage Strategist and Critic with an experience of over twenty years in both private and public sector in India in the field of urban heritage. She is former Deputy Director (Architect), Delhi Urban Heritage Foundation at Delhi Development Authority, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, where she served for close to 15 years.
While in DDA, she worked in close collaboration with national and international agencies in dealing with heritage management, strategy and policy issues that surrounded the three UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Delhi. Prompted by the pandemic, she resigned from her government position to take a mid-carrier break for pursuing her research interests at the Centre for Sustainable Habitat. She received the Fulbright Fellowship to undertake professional research in the USA with interdisciplinary research on Sustainability, Historic Preservation and Planning.
Jana is presently the first COMOS India National Representative to ICOMOS SDG Working Group and also COMOS India National Focal Point for the same. She is member of ICOMOS s Climate Change and Cultural Heritage as well. Besides, she is member of international organizations like Our World Heritage Foundation and Herit-ap of UNESCO World Heritage Institute of Training and Research, Asia Pacific, and a life member of INTACH and Council of Architecture (India). She currently works internationally with HERITOPOLIS, a UN Habitat Metro-Hub Initiative.
Established AVESANA studio in 1988 to work on conservation and architecture projects driven by processes where solutions are based on an in-depth understanding of local identity, continuity of the shared heritage, sustenance of sensitive ecosystems and socio-economic regeneration factors. Projects and research undertaken in Delhi, Ladakh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Assam and Mizoram.
Visiting Faculty at the Master s programme in Architectural Conservation, SPA New Delhi for the urban conservation studio and the thesis semester. Developed the core module on appropriate sustainable adaptive reuse of heritage resources to include heritage revitalization and taught it for more than 20 years.
Engaged in public domain for appropriate heritage intervention action in Shahjahanabad thru public interest litigations.
Co-author for the Delhi Declaration on Heritage and Democracy.
Masters in Conservation Studies, IAAS, York, U. K.; MCA.1986
GSV Suryanarayana Murthy, practicing Conservation Architect is Currently Profesor of Architecture in JBR College of Architecture, Hyderabad. He is an Independent Consultant in the field of Architecture, Conservation, Planning and Urban Design with an approach of reuse, recycle, restore, appropriate use and maintain as principles of Design, Planning and Execution of projects. He had earlier Worked under Govt. of AP as Asst. Prof HUDCO Chair in Centre for Urban development Studies as a Trainer and capacity building facilitator. He has Specialised in documenting Indian traditional Building and Historical building Knowledge systems. Member and Life member in various professional bodies and Organisations like CoA, INTACH, ICOMOS India and ACLA. Visiting faculty in Architecture and Engineering colleges and empanelled Architect in Central Govt. and State Govt. projects in varied projects of Heritage, Human Setlements Infrastructure Planning and Development. Recently in July 2021 under his leadership has got the recognition of UNESCO World Heritage Site status for Kakatiya Rudreshwara (Ramappa) Temple, Palampet, Telangana, India, as appointed by Department of Cculture, Tourism, Government of Telangana. In Dec 2022 awarded with Sustainability Initiative of the year 2022 in Dubai WTC in Big 5 Awards for the Conservation of Bansilalpet Stepwell restoration in working with M/s. The Rainwater Project.
Anuradha Chaturvedi, former Head of Department of Architectural Conservation, and former Head-in-charge of the Departments of Landscape Architecture, Environmental Planning and Regional Planning at the School of Planning & Architecture, New Delhi (Institute of National Importance), has an experience of over thirty five years in the field of heritage resource management and sustainable development. Specializing in Conservation Studies from York University, UK in 1987 as a Charles Wallace Scholar, after graduating with a B.Arch. from SPA, Delhi in 1985, she has subsequently been engaged in extensive research, training and capacity building linked with a range of participatory conservation and sustainable development initiatives for historic towns and cultural landscapes in different parts of India. She has taught courses as visiting faculty at the Department of Architectural Conservation at the School of Planning & Architecture, New Delhi from 1988, and joined as permanent faculty from July, 1999. She is currently Chairperson of CED-4, Committee on Lime and Gypsum Products of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).
Poonam Trambadia is a practicing conservation architect based out of Ahmedabad and working in the western Indian Region. She is also an adjunct Associate professor at Anant National University. Having worked on world heritage sites of Chanpaner, Rani ki Vaav and Ahmedabad's cultural cluster, her projects range from many architectural sites to town level and territorial heritage policies. As ICOMOS zonal rep. she has took a lead in heritage protection on high-risk sites, awareness buildings activities for members and youth in the region and also fund raising for the COMOS society.
After graduating from Jadavpur University Kolkata and Masters in Architectural Conservation from SPA, New Delhi, Bikramjit Chakraborty was involved in preparing the Comprehensive Conservation Management Plan, Red Fort Delhi, a project that enriched his project management and technical Know-how for working on World Heritage Sites during 2006. Later, he worked for the Tourism Development Plan for Amritsar, Punjab, mapping cultural resources to identify projects for developing infrastructure and tourism facilities. From 2008 to 2010, heworked with the Aga Khan Foundation and was responsible for the conservation works of the World Heritagesite of Humayun s Tomb, Sundar Nursery, and Nizamuddin Basti, using 3D Laser Scanning Technology to document the site.
Along with professional engagement, his inclination toward academia has made him join as an Associate Professor at the Gateway College of Architecture and Design, Sonepat, Haryana, NCR, since December 2010. From 2011 to2012, he worked on conserving the Palace Building in Khetri, Rajasthan, India, funded by the central and state governments. After atending the ICOMOS General Assemble at Florence in 2014, he decided to begin the formal doctoral coursework at CEPT University, Ahmedabad, in July 2015. He completed two years of doctoral coursework with a teaching assistantship. During the course, an independent study was conducted on Understanding Urban Transformation and Indian Perspective, which has charted the further research trajectory and interest along the thinking on various aspects of Urban Transformation and Change.
He is working as an Associate Professor at RV College of Architecture, Bangalore, focusing on Urban issues and exploring the embedded meaning in the built environment to incorporate it into contemporary design language. He is an active Member of ICOMOS - India and coordinator of the National Scientific Commitee -Heritage Documentation and East Zone Representative and Executive Commitee member for 2023-25.
Dilip Changkakoty is a retired leading Highway Engineer of PWRD of Assam. He comes from a historical, noble and traditional family background and has maintained his place in society as a leading percussionist. He continues to research all the Sattriya music of his father/Guru the famous music scholar the late Keshab Changkakati. As a result, his research book has been published with high acclaim by the Sangit Natak Academy, New Delhi. He has also published two other scholarly books on music & culture in his own style. He is currently studying seventh-century Hand-gesture scripture & a seventeenth-century Vaishnava Musical Rhythm scripture and will publish the translation with commentaries of the same. He has also published 30 papers on music & cultural subject.
He learned the traditional Delhi and Ajarala Gharana style of playing the Indian percussion instrument Tabla from his father. He holds a higher academic degree in music. He has performed on various stages and is widely recognized as the holder of a rich musical tradition. He was an honorary expert in many cultural institutes and served as an examination controller for several music councils. He is currently involved in a project on the scientific preservation, enhancement and further development of the endangered musical tradition of Vyah Ojapali in Sipajhar, Darrang, Assam. He was indirectly involved with ICOMOS and National Museum, New Delhi since 1998 on Majuli, a river island in Assam.
Faculty of Architecture and Planning, being the oldest and the only Government institute in UP, holds the responsibility of offering quality architects to the state.
The Institute, since its inception, has acquired a sound reputation for its studio-based curriculum and provoking a balanced understanding of architecture in a stimulating environment for creativity. Dr. Vandana Sehgal is the Dean and Principal of the Faculty of Architecture and Planning will be the nodal person on behalf of FOAP,AKTU at ICOMOS India.
