- Why in news
- On 22 June 2026, the Ministry of Culture said the Archaeological Survey of India had handed human skeletal remains from Rakhigarhi, Haryana, to the Anthropological Survey of India for study, including ancient DNA analysis.
- What it is
- Rakhigarhi in Haryana is a Harappan site, widely regarded as the largest known settlement of the Indus-Saraswati (Indus Valley) Civilization. It shows habitation from the Early to the Mature Harappan phase. Its cemetery and skeletal remains help study ancestry, health and diet of Harappan people.
- Location and size
- Rakhigarhi is in Haryana and covers about 550 hectares. It is described as the largest known Indus-Saraswati settlement.
- Phases of habitation
- Excavations show continuous habitation from the Early Harappan to the Mature Harappan periods.
- 2025-26 excavation
- ASI's Excavation Branch-II, Greater Noida, found eight burials at Mound No. 7, a known cemetery area.
- Transfer under MoU
- Three complete skeletons and fragments went to AnSI's repository and laboratory in Kolkata under a new MoU between ASI and AnSI.
- Research partners
- AnSI will work with BSIP Lucknow, University College London and a BHU ancient DNA team.
- AnSI
- AnSI was established in 1945 and works under the Ministry of Culture.
Don’t confuse with ASI vs AnSI: The Archaeological Survey of India excavates and protects monuments. The Anthropological Survey of India studies human biology and culture. Both are under the Ministry of Culture.
Don’t confuse with Rakhigarhi vs Dholavira: Both are Harappan sites in India. Rakhigarhi (Haryana) is described as the largest. Dholavira is in Gujarat.
Places in the news: 26 Prelims questions since 2013, rising (12% of news questions in 2022–26); they test location and why it matters.
Why it matters
- Ancient DNA and isotope work can clarify Harappan ancestry, migration, diet and disease.
- It links archaeology, anthropology and genetics, and builds national palaeogenomics skills.
Problems
- Osteological research at AnSI had declined over the years, so capacity must be rebuilt.
- Genetic findings on Harappan origins can become contested and politicised.
Way forward
- Publish findings openly with peer review and combine DNA results with archaeological evidence.
- Preserve skeletal material properly and widen collaboration with other national survey bodies.
Put in your answer
Rakhigarhi as example: Cite Rakhigarhi's 550 hectares and its planned settlements, drainage systems and burial grounds as evidence of Harappan urbanism.
Multidisciplinary study: Use the ASI-AnSI MoU as an example of archaeology, anthropology, genetics and environmental science working together on ancient India.
- 2025Mains GS1 · Q1Discuss the salient features of Harappan architecture
- 2014Mains GS1 · Q1Extent to which Indus Valley urban planning informs present-day urbanization
- 2015Mains GS1 · Q1How Indian civilization's continuity differs from Egypt, Mesopotamia and Greece
- 2011Prelims Q92Whether Indus Valley civilization was secular and used cotton for textiles
- 2021Prelims Q32Which ancient town, including Rakhigarhi, is known for water harvesting dams and reservoirs
- 2026Prelims Q8Which inferences follow from Harappan spindle-whorls, weights, and baked-brick houses with wells
UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: Largest known Harappan site is a lasting syllabus topic. Places make 26 of 327 Prelims questions, but this release adds no new testable fact beyond standing knowledge.
Worth revising until Prelims 2028: most news questions come within two years of the event.