Lok Sabha Question No. 3812 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-03-19
Subject: Theatre Rejuvenation Programme
Ministry: CULTURE
Asked by: KUNWAR HARIBANSH SINGH, ASHOK SHANKARRAO CHAVAN, GAJANAN CHANDRAKANT KIRTIKAR, SUDHEER GUPTA, ANWHAR RAAJHAA, BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO, VIJAY KUMAR S.R., NARANBHAI KACHHADIA, T. RADHAKRISHNAN

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CULTURE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3812 TO BE ANSWERED ON 19.03.2018

## THEATRE REJUVENATION PROGRAMME

3812.   KUNWAR HARIBANSH SINGH: SHRI ASHOK SHANKARRAO CHAVAN:

SHRI GAJANAN KIRTIKAR: SHRI SUDHEER GUPTA:

SHRI A. ANWHAR RAAJHAA: SHRI BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO:

SHRI S.R. VIJAYAKUMAR: SHRI NARANBHAI KACHHADIYA:

SHRI T. RADHAKRISHNAN:

Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government proposes to focus on theatre rejuvenation programme particularly in the rural areas of the country;
- (b) if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  the  present  cultural  policy  of  the  Government  in  this regard;
- (c) whether the Government has made budgetary provisions for theatres;
- (d) if so, the details thereof along with the funds allocated/utilized during each of the last three years and the current year;
- (e) the names of the countries with which India has signed agreement to boost theatre activities; and
- (f) the  criteria  adopted  for  the  nomenclature  of  different  cultural  committees  and  different cultural institutions constituted from time-to time by the Government?

## MINISTER OF STATE (IC) FOR CULTURE & MINISTER OF STATE FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST & CLIMATE CHANGE

## (DR. MAHESH SHARMA)

## ANSWER

(a)&(b): Yes madam.  The National School of Drama (NSD), an autonomous body under the Ministry of Culture is taking various steps to preserve, develop, protect and rejuvenate the culture of India  from  the  onslaught  of  other  outside  cultures  including  the  western  culture.  For  this purpose, NSD, is taking various steps through the medium of theatre in this direction. Some of the steps taken/ being taken are mentioned below:-

-  Under  the  Out-reach/Extension  Programme,  production  oriented  theatre  workshops across the country for preservation and promotion and to rejuvenate of rural folk and tribal culture of India are conducted in collaboration with the local theatre groups and plays are also performed, as part of these workshops.
-  Further, NSD has also opened centres in North -East at Sikkim,Tripura and Bengaluru to introduce, encourage, promote and preserve and rejuvenate the culture and traditions of the local people in this area, through the medium of theatre.

-  As  part  of  the  curriculum,  the  students  of  the  NSD  also  visit  various  regions  of  the country to perform, research and develop theatre forms prevalent in the regions, which are quite diverse in nature. This helps to make the people aware of various dramatic arts prevalent in these areas through the medium of Theatre.
-  Apart from the above, NSD also organizes theatre festivals like Bharat Rang Mahotsav (annually) at Delhi and in few selected cities of the country , in which Theatre groups from foreign countries also participate.
-  NSD's  Sanskaar  Rang  Toli  (TIE  Company)  has  a  biennial  event  called  'Bal  Sangam'. This is a festival with a focus on Indian performing folk and traditional arts presented by children practicing these arts, from different regions of the country including rural areas.
-  Similarly, a Poorvottar Theatre Festival is also organized in the North-East region from time to time with a focus to preserve and promote traditional theatre practices of the North-East region, among other practices. Plays from other parts of the country are also showcased in this festival. This helps in introducing the Indian cultural traditions etc. to the people as well as in promotion/rejuvenation of the country's old age practices and traditions through the medium of theatre.
-  In  addition  with  the  approval  of  the  Government,  NSD  is  organizing  the  8 th Theatre Olympics from 17 th February  to  8 th April,  2018  in  which  25 countries  are  participating with  above 25000 artists with the theme of 'Flag of Friendship''.
-  Repertory company of the NSD also visit various places of the country to stage perform the plays which are seen/viewed by large no. of audience.
-  The plays  produced  by  the  students  as  well  as  the  participants  in  various  workshops across the country are performed and documented by the NSD. These plays are often based on folk and traditional forms.

(c)&(d): The Budget grants and expenditure for the last five years 2012-17 are as under:

| Year              | Budget   | Budget   | (Rs. In Lakhs) Actual   | Expenditure   |
|-------------------|----------|----------|-------------------------|---------------|
|                   | Plan     | Non-Plan | Plan                    | Non-Plan      |
| 2014-15           | 4633.00  | 1202.49  | 4079.00                 | 1202.49       |
| 2015-16           | 5150.00  | 1345.00  | 5150.00                 | 1345.00       |
| 2016-17           | 6675.00  | 1536.00  | 6675.00                 | 1536.00       |
| 2017-18 (Revenue) | 8572.00  |          |                         |               |

- (e): A list of the countries with which India has signed agreement to boost theatre activities is annexed.
- (f): There  is  no  criteria  for  nomenclature  of  different  cultural  committees.  NSD  is  the  only autonomous organization under Ministry of Culture promoting theatre.

***

## Annexure

## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO part-e of the LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3812 FOR ANSWER ON 19.03.2018

List of countries with which India has signed agreement to boost theatre activities

|   S.No. | Country     |   S.No. | Country      | S.No.   | Country              |
|---------|-------------|---------|--------------|---------|----------------------|
|       1 | AFGANISTHAN |      36 | IRELAND      | 71      | SINGAPORE            |
|       2 | ALGERIA     |      37 | ISRAEL       | 72      | SLOVAK               |
|       3 | ARGENTINA   |      38 | ITALY        | 73      | SLOVENIA             |
|       4 | ARMENIA     |      39 | JAPAN        | 74      | SOUTH AFRICA         |
|       5 | AUSTRALIA   |      40 | JORDAN       | 75      | SPANISH              |
|       6 | AUSTRIA     |      41 | KABUL        | 76      | SRILANKA             |
|       7 | BAHARIN     |      42 | KHASAKISTHAN | 77      | SUDAN                |
|       8 | BANGLADESH  |      43 | KOREA        | 78      | SURINAME             |
|       9 | BELGIUM     |      44 | KRYGYSTHAN   | 79      | SYRIA MONTENEGRO     |
|      10 | BENIN       |      45 | KUWAIT       | 80      | TAJIKISTHAN          |
|      11 | BOSNIA      |      46 | LAOS         | 81      | THAILAND             |
|      12 | BRAZIL      |      47 | LATVIA       | 82      | TRINIDAD             |
|      13 | BULGARIA    |      48 | LITHUANIA    | 83      | TUNISIA              |
|      14 | CAMBODIA    |      49 | MALAYSIA     | 84      | TURKEY               |
|      15 | CHINA       |      50 | MALDIVES     | 85      | TURKMENISTAN         |
|      16 | COLUMBIA    |      51 | MAURITIUS    | 86      | UK                   |
|      17 | CONGO       |      52 | MEXICO       | 87      | UNITED ARAB EMIRATES |
|      18 | CROATIA     |      53 | MONGOLIA     | 88      | UZBEKISTAN           |
|      19 | CUBA        |      54 | MOZAMBIQUE   | 89      | VENEZUALA            |
|      20 | CYPRUS      |      55 | MYANMAR      | 90      | VIETNAM              |
|      21 | CZECH       |      56 | NAMIBIA      | 91      | YEMEN                |
|      22 | DENMARK     |      57 | NETHERLAND   | 92      | YUGOSLAVIA           |
|      23 | DJIBOUTI    |      58 | NIGERIA      | 93      | ZAIRE                |
|      24 | DOMINICAN   |      59 | NORWAY       | 94      | ZAMBIA               |
|      25 | ECUADOR     |      60 | OMAN         | 95      | ZIMBAVE              |
|      26 | EGYPT       |      61 | PAKISTHAN    |         |                      |
|      27 | FINLAND     |      62 | PARAGUAY     |         |                      |
|      28 | FRANCE      |      63 | PERU         |         |                      |
|      29 | GERMANY     |      64 | PHILLIPINES  |         |                      |
|      30 | GHANA       |      65 | POLAND       |         |                      |
|      31 | GREECE      |      66 | ROMANIA      |         |                      |
|      32 | HUNGARY     |      67 | RUSSIA       |         |                      |
|      33 | ICELAND     |      68 | SAUDI ARABIA |         |                      |
|      34 | INDONESIA   |      69 | SENEGAL      |         |                      |
|      35 | IRAN        |      70 | SEYCHELLES   |         |                      |