Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu has called upon the government and civil society organizations to jointly make efforts to preserve the country's cultural heritage. <br />'' <br />'' He was speaking after releasing the book "Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam: Preserving Antiquity for Posterity," at a function in Chennai this evening. <br />'' <br />'' Mr Naidu said India has many priceless treasures of art and architecture, song and dance, poetry and theatre, mythology, philosophy, Mathematics and Material Science. <br />'' <br />'' However, he expressed concern that several cultural treasures remain largely neglected. He insisted that such negligence cannot be allowed to continue. <br />'' <br />'' The Vice President suggested that civil engineering institutions in the country should develop specialized courses for engineers and archaeologists on restoration of heritage structures. <br />'' <br />'' He also said that special efforts must be taken to remove encroachments around heritage sites and to create pilgrim friendly facilities. <br />'' <br />'' Mr Naidu added that it is a sacred and patriotic duty of the present generation to preserve and protect the country's antiquities for the next generation.<br />''