Overview

• Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the British Museum will loan the 16th-century textile for 18 months if Assam meets specified conditions.
• JSW Group will build a state-of-the-art museum on government-allotted land, with designs to follow British Museum standards before construction begins.
• British Museum officials inspected Kalakshetra and the Assam State Museum, found them unsuitable, and will provide detailed environmental and security guidelines.
• Sarma has written to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar seeking a sovereign guarantee to ensure the artefact’s safe return at the end of the loan.
• A live video feed from London to imanta SaSankardev Kalakshetra is part of the requirement, and permanent repatriation is off the table due to the textile’s fragility.