Prof Alok Tripathi, who came into focus after leading the controversial survey in Varanasi, has retired at 60 but will continue with the Archaeological Survey of India in a new capacity
NEW DELHI – Prof Alok Tripathi, the senior Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) officer who headed the Gyanvapi Mosque survey team, has retired from his post but has been given a new assignment within the organisation.
According to a report published in The Indian Express, Tripathi retired on 31 August as Additional Director General (Archaeology) of the ASI. He has now been appointed as Additional Director General (Research and Training (Capacity Building), with his term extended until 30 November, pending approval from the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.
Tripathi, who also served as a professor at Assam University in Silchar, had previously received four short-term extensions between July and August this year. Officials from the Union Ministry of Culture told The Indian Express that he remained eligible for continued appointment since Assam University has a retirement age of 65, compared to 60 within the ASI.
The ASI, which functions under the Ministry of Culture, has confirmed his extension. However, the newspaper pointed out that in April 2023, an ASI advertisement for the same post mentioned that the maximum age limit for recruitment was 56 years, raising questions about the process.
Prof Tripathi first drew national attention in July 2023, when a Varanasi district court ordered an ASI-led survey of the Gyanvapi Mosque complex. The survey was meant to examine Hindu petitioners’ claims that the mosque was built on the remains of a temple, and that Hindu worship should be allowed inside the premises.
Tripathi led the ASI team that carried out the survey and later submitted its findings in January 2024. In its report, the ASI stated that a Hindu temple did exist at the site before the construction of the mosque, citing evidence such as architectural remains, inscriptions, and sculptures.
The dispute dates back to 2022, when during a court-ordered survey an oval-shaped structure was discovered inside the mosque’s ablution tank. Hindu petitioners claimed it was a Shivling, while the mosque administration maintained that it was part of a defunct fountain.
The matter has since remained a subject of heated legal and political debate, with both Hindu petitioners and the mosque committee presenting conflicting arguments.
While Tripathi’s formal retirement took effect in August, his reassignment to research and training within the ASI suggests that his expertise will continue to be utilised. The government’s final approval for his extended term until November is still pending.
Tripathi’s continued presence in the ASI is being closely watched, given his central role in the Gyanvapi survey and the wider implications of its findings for the legal battle over the mosque.
