India, March 28 -- The Supreme Court has issued contempt notice to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) for not submitting a response on the conservation status of 173 notified heritage sites in Delhi and has summoned its Director General to personally appear in court next month.

In an order passed on March 16, uploaded this week, a bench of justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and N Kotiswar Singh said, "Notice is issued to the Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India to showcause, as to why, the court may not initiate proceedings for contempt against him. He shall be personally present before the court on the next date of listing along with his show-cause."

The action follows an order by the court in February calling for st...