UGC-NET – Paper II: Museology and Conservation (Code: 66)
Exam Cycle: June 2026
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COURSE OVERVIEW
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Subject Name: Museology and Conservation
Subject Code: 66
Conducting Body: National Testing Agency (NTA)
Paper Type: Paper-II – Museology and Conservation
Total Marks: 200
Total Questions: 100 MCQs
Mode: Computer Based Test (CBT)
Duration: 3 Hours (Paper I + II combined)
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COMPLETE LIST OF UNITS
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Unit I: Introduction to Museum and Museology:
Unit II: Collection Management.
Unit III: Documentation and Research of Tangible and Intangible Collections:
Unit IV: Museum Exhibitions.
Unit V: Museum Education, Interpretation and Publications.
Unit VI: Conservation of Collections — Part I.
Unit VII: Conservation of Collections — Part II.
Unit VIII: Museum Management.
Unit IX: Museum Marketing and Public Relations.
Unit X: Legislation and Conventions Related to Museums and Heritage.
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UNIT-WISE DETAILED SYLLABUS
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Unit I: Introduction to Museum and Museology:
Topic 1: Definitions and concepts of museum, ecomuseum, community museum, virtual museum, neighborhood museum, etc.
• museum
• ecomuseum
• community museum
• virtual museum
• neighborhood museum
Topic 2: Definitions and concept of museology, new museology, meta museology, museography, etc.
• museology
• new museology
• meta museology
• museography
Topic 3: Early collections, ancient and medieval prototypes of museums. History, growth and development of museums in Indian and global context.
• Early collections
• ancient and medieval prototypes of museums
• History, growth and development of museums in Indian context
• History, growth and development of museums in global context
Topic 4: Classification and types of museums.
• Classification of museums
• types of museums
Topic 5: Functions and role of museums.
• Functions of museums
• role of museums
Topic 6: Role of national and international professional organizations – Museums Association (U.K.), Museums Association of India, UNESCO, ICOM, ICCROM, Commonwealth Association of Museums, American Alliance of Museums, IASC, IIC, IUCN, UNESCO-ICOM Museum Information Center, etc.
• Museums Association (U.K.)
• Museums Association of India
• UNESCO
• ICOM
• ICCROM
• Commonwealth Association of Museums
• American Alliance of Museums
• IASC
• IIC
• IUCN
• UNESCO-ICOM Museum Information Center
Topic 7: ICOM code of ethics.
• ICOM code of ethics
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Unit II: Collection Management.
Topic 1: Purposes of collecting. Scope of collections – tangible and intangible.
• Purposes of collecting
• Scope of collections – tangible
• Scope of collections – intangible
Topic 2: Ethics of collecting. Collection management policy including acquisitions, disposal, loaning, insurance, etc.
• Ethics of collecting
• Collection management policy including acquisitions
• Collection management policy including disposal
• Collection management policy including loaning
• Collection management policy including insurance
Topic 3: Methods of collecting tangible and intangible heritage.
• Methods of collecting tangible heritage
• Methods of collecting intangible heritage
Topic 4: Methods of authenticating museum objects.
• Methods of authenticating museum objects
Topic 5: Collection holding areas for tangible and intangible collections – accessibility, retrieval, storage systems and preventive conservation measures.
• Collection holding areas for tangible collections
• Collection holding areas for intangible collections
• accessibility
• retrieval
• storage systems
• preventive conservation measures
Topic 6: Collection security. Guidelines for handling, packing and transporting collections.
• Collection security
• Guidelines for handling collections
• Guidelines for packing collections
• Guidelines for transporting collections
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Unit III: Documentation and Research of Tangible and Intangible Collections:
Topic 1: Purposes of documenting museum collections
• Purposes of documenting museum collections
Topic 2: Ethics of documentation.
• Ethics of documentation
Topic 3: Documentation policy and procedures.
• Documentation policy
• Documentation procedures
Topic 4: Types of documents – entry, accession, classified, and movement registers; index and catalogue cards. Digital documentation.
• entry registers
• accession registers
• classified registers
• movement registers
• index cards
• catalogue cards
• Digital documentation
Topic 5: Numbering the objects – numbering systems, procedure of applying numbers on objects. Barcoding.
• numbering systems
• procedure of applying numbers on objects
• Barcoding
Topic 6: Documentation standards – format of various types of documents. Use of standard terminology. Concept of Object ID.
• Documentation standards – format of various types of documents
• Use of standard terminology
• Concept of Object ID
Topic 7: Objectives and scope of collection research. Models of collection research.
• Objectives of collection research
• scope of collection research
• Models of collection research
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Unit IV: Museum Exhibitions.
Topic 1: Museum exhibition as a communication system. Models of communication in the context of exhibitions.
• Museum exhibition as a communication system
• Models of communication in the context of exhibitions
Topic 2: Exhibition policy.
• Exhibition policy
Topic 3: Ethics of exhibitions.
• Ethics of exhibitions
Topic 4: Types of exhibitions on the basis of duration, location, arrangement of objects/ specimen and purpose.
• duration
• location
• arrangement of objects/specimen
• purpose
Topic 5: Components of exhibitions – objects/ specimen, communication media, text, exhibition furniture and accessories. Spatial and other relationships between exhibit components.
• objects/specimen
• communication media
• text
• exhibition furniture
• accessories
• Spatial relationships between exhibit components
• other relationships between exhibit components
Topic 6: Exhibition text – Types of labels, assessing reading and comprehensibility of text, typography, designing and preparation of labels.
• Types of labels
• assessing reading and comprehensibility of text
• typography
• designing labels
• preparation of labels
Topic 7: Exhibition lighting – Basic considerations while using light, types of light sources, different types of lamps, recent trends: fibre optics, track lighting, computer controlled lighting.
• Basic considerations while using light
• types of light sources
• different types of lamps
• recent trends: fibre optics
• recent trends: track lighting
• recent trends: computer controlled lighting
Topic 8: Planning and designing exhibitions – stages of planning; exhibition brief; using principles of design, ergonomics, colour, texture and light in exhibitions. Orientation. Circulation of visitors. Signage. Use of multi-media.
• stages of planning
• exhibition brief
• using principles of design in exhibitions
• using ergonomics in exhibitions
• using colour in exhibitions
• using texture in exhibitions
• using light in exhibitions
• Orientation
• Circulation of visitors
• Signage
• Use of multi-media
Topic 9: Designing exhibition furniture, dioramas, and historical settings.
• Designing exhibition furniture
• Designing dioramas
• Designing historical settings
Topic 10: Evaluation – front-end analysis, formative and summative evaluation.
• front-end analysis
• formative evaluation
• summative evaluation
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Unit V: Museum Education, Interpretation and Publications.
Topic 1: Role and potential of museums in informal, non-formal and formal education/ learning.
• Role of museums in informal education/learning
• potential of museums in informal education/learning
• Role of museums in non-formal education/learning
• potential of museums in non-formal education/learning
• Role of museums in formal education/learning
• potential of museums in formal education/learning
Topic 2: Museums and life long learning. Barriers to learning in museums. Education versus interpretation.
• Museums and life long learning
• Barriers to learning in museums
• Education versus interpretation
Topic 3: Ethics of museum education.
• Ethics of museum education
Topic 4: Museum education policy. Theories of learning. Characteristics of learning in museums.
• Museum education policy
• Theories of learning
• Characteristics of learning in museums
Topic 5: Various learning activities such as guides tours, lectures, talks, storytelling, workbooks, workshops, demonstrations, drama, role play, live interpretation, digital methods, etc. for different target groups.
• guide tours
• lectures
• talks
• storytelling
• workbooks
• workshops
• demonstrations
• drama
• role play
• live interpretation
• digital methods
Topic 6: Making learning opportunities accessible to persons with disabilities.
• Making learning opportunities accessible to persons with disabilities
Topic 7: Museum extension services – travelling and mobile exhibitions, school loan kits, community programmes, excursions, field trips, heritage walks, etc. Extension through digital media.
• travelling exhibitions
• mobile exhibitions
• school loan kits
• community programmes
• excursions
• field trips
• heritage walks
• Extension through digital media
Topic 8: Museum publication – purpose and types.
• purpose of museum publication
• types of museum publication
Topic 9: Feedback – purposes and methods
• purposes of feedback
• methods of feedback
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Unit VI: Conservation of Collections — Part I.
Topic 1: Definitions of conservation – preventive, remedial and restoration. Terminology used in conservation.
• preventive conservation
• remedial conservation
• restoration
• Terminology used in conservation
Topic 2: Nature and properties of material of collections – organic, inorganic and composite. Susceptibility of materials to different agents of decay.
• organic materials
• inorganic materials
• composite materials
• Susceptibility of materials to different agents of decay
Topic 3: Ethics of conservation.
• Ethics of conservation
Topic 4: Conservation policy. Conservation audit.
• Conservation policy
• Conservation audit
Topic 5: Causes and types of deterioration – environmental: effects of light, humidity, temperature and pollution; biological: fungi, insects, rodents and birds; human – carelessness, mishandling and wrong treatment; disasters: fire, flood, earthquake, arson, etc.
• environmental causes: effects of light
• environmental causes: effects of humidity
• environmental causes: effects of temperature
• environmental causes: effects of pollution
• biological causes: fungi
• biological causes: insects
• biological causes: rodents
• biological causes: birds
• human causes – carelessness
• human causes – mishandling
• human causes – wrong treatment
• disasters: fire
• disasters: flood
• disasters: earthquake
• disasters: arson
Topic 6: Preventive conservation: significance and effectiveness, and implementation in storage, exhibitions and transit through –
• significance of preventive conservation
• effectiveness of preventive conservation
• implementation of preventive conservation in storage
• implementation of preventive conservation in exhibitions
• implementation of preventive conservation in transit
Topic 7: Environmental control – monitoring of light and UV radiations, R.H., Temperature and pollutants and application of control measures. Tools and equipments used in monitoring and control.
• monitoring of light
• monitoring of UV radiations
• monitoring of R.H.
• monitoring of Temperature
• monitoring of pollutants
• application of control measures
• Tools and equipments used in monitoring and control
Topic 8: Integrated Pest Management – identification, control and termination of pests. Various fungicides, insecticides and rodenticides used in IPM. Good practices of Housekeeping and Rules of handling museum objects. Tools, materials and equipments used in housekeeping and handling.
• identification of pests
• control of pests
• termination of pests
• fungicides used in IPM
• insecticides used in IPM
• rodenticides used in IPM
• Good practices of Housekeeping
• Rules of handling museum objects
• Tools used in housekeeping and handling
• materials used in housekeeping and handling
• equipments used in housekeeping and handling
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Unit VII: Conservation of Collections — Part II.
Topic 1: Methodology of remedial conservation – techniques of examination, diagnosis of type and extent of decay, documentation and testing of probable treatments, treatment of objects using suitable materials and method. Recommendations for preventive care.
• techniques of examination
• diagnosis of type of decay
• diagnosis of extent of decay
• documentation of probable treatments
• testing of probable treatments
• treatment of objects using suitable materials and method
• Recommendations for preventive care
Topic 2: Materials, equipment, tools and techniques used in remedial conservation of following materials –
• i. Paper and archival materials
• ii. Paintings on different substrate such as wall, canvas, paper, wood, textiles, palmleaf etc.
• iii. Textiles and costumes
• iv. wood, skin material, bone, horn and ivory
• v. metallic objects made of iron, copper, bronze and silver
• vi. stone objects
• vi. ceramic and glass
• vii. Biological specimens
Topic 3: Health and safety issues.
• Health and safety issues
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Unit VIII: Museum Management.
Topic 1: Concept of Management : Foundations and evolution. Essential components of management : decision making and leadership.
• Foundations of management
• evolution of management
• decision making
• leadership
Topic 2: Functions of management:
• Planning: Types of plans – Vision and mission statements, objectives, policies, Procedures, rules, strategies, action plans, and contingency plans. Planning process, MBO, Strategic planning, Use of Critical Path method and Simple Bar method in planning.
• Organization Design – staff structures, job descriptions, authority and responsibilities.
• Staffing – Framing recruitment rules, methods of recruitment, training and development of human resource. Performance appraisal.
• Controlling — process and methods of control.
• Financing — sources of fund generation, Budget and budgeting
Topic 3: Project Management.
• Project Management
Topic 4: Prevention of harassment in work place.
• Prevention of harassment in work place
Topic 5: Museum security – Risk assessment and management. Manual, physical and electronic security. Security procedures. Fire safety.
• Risk assessment and management
• Manual security
• physical security
• electronic security
• Security procedures
• Fire safety
Topic 6: Disaster management – preparation, prevention, response and recovery.
• preparation
• prevention
• response
• recovery
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Unit IX: Museum Marketing and Public Relations.
Topic 1: Meaning and purpose of marketing and its role in museums. Marketing terminology.
• Meaning of marketing
• purpose of marketing
• role of marketing in museums
• Marketing terminology
Topic 2: Concept and types of products. Product Life cycle and marketing strategies at different stages. Museum as a multiproduct organization and a service.
• Concept of products
• types of products
• Product Life cycle
• marketing strategies at different stages
• Museum as a multiproduct organization
• Museum as a service
Topic 3: Segmentation and target marketing – significance, bases and approaches.
• significance of segmentation and target marketing
• bases of segmentation and target marketing
• approaches to segmentation and target marketing
Topic 4: Marketing Mix – Product, Price, Promotion and Place: significance, tools and strategies.
• Product: significance, tools and strategies
• Price: significance, tools and strategies
• Promotion: significance, tools and strategies
• Place: significance, tools and strategies
Topic 5: Marketing Research – purpose, types and methods.
• purpose of Marketing Research
• types of Marketing Research
• methods of Marketing Research
Topic 6: Marketing versus Public Relations. Definitions and significance of Public Relations. Foundational Principles of Public relations.
• Marketing versus Public Relations
• Definitions of Public Relations
• significance of Public Relations
• Foundational Principles of Public relations
Topic 7: Tools, tactics and strategies of Public Relations. Media relations. Public relations campaigns.
• Tools of Public Relations
• tactics of Public Relations
• strategies of Public Relations
• Media relations
• Public relations campaigns
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Unit X: Legislation and Conventions Related to Museums and Heritage.
Topic 1: The Indian Treasure Trove Act, 1878
• The Indian Treasure Trove Act, 1878
Topic 2: The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958
• The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958
Topic 3: The Antiquities and Art Treasures Act, 1972
• The Antiquities and Art Treasures Act, 1972
Topic 4: The Wild Life Protection Act, 1972
• The Wild Life Protection Act, 1972
Topic 5: Persons with disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995
• Persons with disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995
Topic 6: Right to information Act, 2005
• Right to information Act, 2005
Topic 7: UNESCO World Heritage Convention, 1972
• UNESCO World Heritage Convention, 1972
Topic 8: Convention on International Trade in Endangered species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES), 1973
• Convention on International Trade in Endangered species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES), 1973
Topic 9: The Venice Charter, 1964
• The Venice Charter, 1964
Topic 10: The UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, 2003
• The UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, 2003
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EXAMINATION STRUCTURE
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Paper-II: Subject Specific Examination
- Total Questions: 100
- Total Marks: 200
- Question Type: Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ)
- Negative Marking: No
- Duration: 3 Hours (Combined with Paper I)
- Mode: Computer Based Test (CBT)
Additional Notes (if any):
- [No additional notes provided in source]
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SYLLABUS SUMMARY
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Total Units: 10
Total Topics: 66
Subject: Museology and Conservation
Subject Code: 66
Exam Category: UGC-NET Paper-II
Source: Official NTA/UGC Syllabus
Status: “As per latest official syllabus”
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