India, April 3 -- Hidden inside the complex housing the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD)'s zonal office in Kashmere Gate lies a piece of Delhi's layered history - a crumbling haveli, a circular baradari, and walls that have witnessed the city's transformation over two centuries. For years, the structure - the last remaining fragments of what was once the palatial home of James Skinner, a flamboyant Anglo-Indian soldier of fortune - has served in various forms, it was from where Hindu College operated between 1908 and 1953.

But now, after years of neglect, the central government's Heritage Conservation Committee (HCC) has approved a proposal for its conservation, according to civic officials aware of the matter.

A senior MCD official...