Tamil Nadu forms 14-member Ancient Monuments Commission headed by retired ASI officer M. Nambirajan

Direct fact

On July 16, 2026, the Tamil Nadu government constituted a 14-member Tamil Nadu Ancient Monuments Commission headed by retired Archaeological Survey of India Joint Director General M. Nambirajan, following High Court proceedings related to the Thiruvannamalai Arunachaleswarar Temple.

Key specifics

• The commission has 14 members and is headed by M. Nambirajan.
• M. Nambirajan is a retired Joint Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India.
• The issue arose in the context of the Thiruvannamalai Arunachaleswarar Temple.
• The High Court asked the commission to inspect the devotees’ waiting hall in the temple’s fourth prakaram by July 29.
• The court also asked for reports on illegal constructions, crowd management, and temple-related works by July 30.

Exam lens

Question type: Tamil Nadu governance and heritage, commission formation, temple conservation, Thiruvannamalai. TNPSC one-liner: Tamil Nadu formed a 14-member Ancient Monuments Commission on July 16, 2026, to address heritage protection issues linked to the Arunachaleswarar Temple.