Lok Sabha Question No. 1741 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-07-26
Subject: Indian Cultural Centres Abroad
Ministry: EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: SUDHEER GUPTA, SUNIL BALIRAM GAIKWAD, KUNWAR HARIBANSH SINGH, BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO, GAJANAN CHANDRAKANT KIRTIKAR, T. RADHAKRISHNAN, VIJAY KUMAR S.R.

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1741 TO BE ANSWERED ON 26.07.2017

## INDIAN CULTURAL CENTRES ABROAD

## 1741. SHRI SUDHEER GUPTA:

DR. SUNIL BALIRAM GAIKWAD:

KUNWAR HARIBANSH SINGH:

SHRI BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO:

SHRI GAJANAN KIRTIKAR:

SHRI T. RADHAKRISHNAN:

SHRI S.R. VIJAYAKUMAR:

Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has set up Indian Cultural Centre in different countries;
- (b) if so, the name  of the countries along with the steps taken/being  taken  by  the  Government  to  promote  Indian culture in different parts of the world;
- (c) whether  the  Government  has  decided  to  set  up  an  Indian Cultural Centre in Israel also;
- (d) if so, the details thereof and the aims and objectives thereto; and
- (e) the  steps  taken/being  taken  by  the  Government  to  bring  up both countries closer culturally?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) Yes.
- (b) ICCR has 36 Indian Cultural Centres and one Sub-Centre (list attached).  ICCR has plans to establish new Indian Cultural Centres

in Washington and Paris.  For these new Centres, the properties are being renovated for establishing Centres. Cultural  Centres  overseas  are  ICCR's  important  arms,  which play  significant  role  in  promotion  of  India's  soft  power  strength through  its  variety  of  activities  like  facilitating  teaching  of  Indian dance,  music,  yoga,  Hindi  etc.,  organizing  cultural  performances, film screening, lectures, talks, Seminars & Conferences on themes related to India including workshops/interactions on various streams of Indian dance and music and organizing Festivals of India.  Activities  are  organized  in  the  capital  and  other  cities  with the help of involvement of local community and Indian Diaspora. (c) Yes. (d) & (e) During  the  recent  visit  of  Prime  Minister  of  India  to Israel,  announcement  for  the  opening  of  Indian  Cultural  Centre  in Israel was made.  Modalities for opening and running of the Centre will be worked out by ICCR in consultation with the Mission in Tel Aviv.    In  2017-18  ICCR  organized  a  Festival  of  India  in  Israel. Celebrations of IDY were organized on grand scale.  ICCR has Chair of Indian Studies at the Tel Aviv University for promotion of Indian studies.  India  and  Israel  share  a  long  standing  relationship  on  the cultural and people to people front.  Opening a Cultural Centre will further enhance relationship on this front.

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## LIST OF INDIAN CULTURAL CENTRES ABROAD

|   S.No. | Name of Centre with Country                                                         |
|---------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|       1 | The Nehru Centre London (U.K.).                                                     |
|       2 | The Tagore Centre Berlin, Germany.                                                  |
|       3 | Jawaharlal Nehru Cultural Centre Moscow, Russia.                                    |
|       4 | Indian Cultural Centre Astana, Kazakhstan.                                          |
|       5 | Lal Bahadur Shastri Centre for Indian Culture Tashkent, Uzbekistan.                 |
|       6 | Indian Cultural Centre Dushanbe, Tajikistan.                                        |
|       7 | Indian Cultural Centre Kabul, Afghanistan.                                          |
|       8 | Indian Cultural Centre Colombo, Sri Lanka.                                          |
|       9 | Jawaharlal Nehru Indian Cultural Centre, Jakarta, Indonesia.                        |
|      10 | Indira Gandhi Centre for Indian Culture Port Louis, Mauritius                       |
|      11 | Maulana Azad Centre for Indian Culture, Cairo, Egypt.                               |
|      12 | Indian Cultural Centre Johannesburg, South Africa.                                  |
|      13 | Indian Cultural Centre Georgetown, Guyana.                                          |
|      14 | Mahatma Gandhi Institute For Cultural Cooperation, Port of Spain, Trinidad &Tobago. |
|      15 | Indian Cultural Centre Paramaribo, Suriname.                                        |
|      16 | Indian Cultural Centre Suva, Fiji.                                                  |
|      17 | Indian Cultural Centre Beijing, China.                                              |
|      18 | Indian Cultural Wing Kathmandu, Nepal.                                              |
|      19 | Indian Cultural Centre Bangkok, Thailand                                            |

| 20.   | NSCB Indian Cultural Centre Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.   |
|-------|-------------------------------------------------------|
| 21.   | Vivekanand Cultural Centre Tokyo, Japan               |
| 22.   | Gurudev Tagore Indian Cultural Centre Mexico.         |
| 23.   | Nehru Wangchuck Cultural Centre Thimphu, Bhutan.      |
| 24.   | Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre Dhaka, Bangladesh.      |
| 25.   | Indian Cultural Centre Yangon, Myanmar.               |
| 26.   | Indian Cultural Centre Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania        |
| 27.   | Indian Cultural Centre Seoul, South Korea.            |
| 28.   | Amrita Sher-Gill Cultural Centre Budapest, Hungary.   |
| 29.   | Indian Cultural Centre Prague, Czech Republic         |
| 30.   | Indian Cultural Centre Male, Maldives.                |
| 31.   | Indian Cultural Centre Sao Paulo, Brazil.             |
| 32.   | Indian Cultural Centre The Hague, Netherlands.        |
| 33.   | Indian Cultural Centre Tehran, Iran                   |
| 34.   | Indian Cultural Centre Durban, South Africa           |
| 35.   | Indian Cultural Centre Sydney, Australia              |
| 36.   | Indian Cultural Centre Hanoi, Vietnam                 |
|       | Sub-Centre                                            |
| 37.   | Sub-Cultural Centre Bali, Indonesia                   |

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