Lok Sabha Question No. 2671 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-01-03
Subject: Cultural Programmes by ICCR
Ministry: EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: RAJESH KUMAR DIWAKAR

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2671

TO BE ANSWERED ON 03.01.2018

## CULTURAL PROGRAMMES BY ICCR

## 2671.SHRI RAJESH KUMAR DIWAKER:

Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has taken some more initiatives to further strengthen the country's cultural relations with the foreign countries;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the number of cultural programmes organized by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) during the last one year in order to improve the cultural relations with other countries; and
- (d) the district-wise details of cultural programme being organized by the Department in Uttar Pradesh?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS [GEN. (DR) V. K. SINGH (RETD)]

(a) & (b) Yes, Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) has taken many initiatives to improve cultural relations with foreign countries.  Regular exchange of artists in the fields of Performing Arts, Visual Arts, Academic and intellectual exchanges have been taking place.  Details attached at Annexure-A .

- (c) The Council has sponsored 166 performing art groups from India during the last one year to 88 countries.  The Council also organized 117 performances by 53 foreign groups during the last one year in India.  The Council organized Confluence - Festival of India in Australia alongwith Ministry of Culture.  Apart from it the Council also organized Festivals of India in France, Iran, Spain and Nepal.
- (d) The two regional offices of ICCR located in the cities of Lucknow and Varanasi   organized   17   and   15   cultural   programmes   respectively   in   various districts of Uttar Pradesh.
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## ANNEXURE-A

- i. ICCR with support of Ministry of External Affairs is in process of deploying 115 Teachers of Indian Culture (TIC) abroad to Indian Missions/Posts/Indian Cultural Centres abroad. These Teachers are well versed in Yoga, Sanskrit and will help promote Indian Culture abroad. Presence of TICs will strengthen the functioning of the existing 37 Indian Cultural Centres.
- ii. The Council has 80 Indian Chairs in foreign universities/institutions apart from 6-Posts of Hindi T eachers at Cultural Centres abroad.
- iii. The Council organized 12 International Conferences and supported more than 24 International Conferences organized by other institutions in the last one year.
- iv. The Council has sponsored/supported 37 Exhibitions to 13 countries in the last one year.
- v. The Council is currently running 37 Indian Cultural Centres in various countries to promote Indian culture in the host country.  ICCR established cultural centres in Sydney and Hanoi in 2016 and is in the process of establishing   new   cultural   centres   in   Washington,   Paris,   Buenos   Aires, Lagos, T oronto, Singapore and T el Aviv.
- vi. ICCR has developed A2A (Admission to Alumni) scholarship portal for better and efficient management of ICCR's scholarship programmes.
- vii. Special schemes for children of martyrs in Afghanistan was introduced in 2015 and a scholarship scheme for children of border security force of Bangladesh was introduced.
- viii. ICCR has been organizing International Yoga Day (IDY) in collaboration with Missions since the 1 st  IDY announced in 2015.  Since then scale and number of countries have consistently increased.

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