Lok Sabha Question No. 3328 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-12-09
Subject: Inter-State Cultural Development Programme
Ministry: CULTURE
Asked by: Sumedhanand Saraswati

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CULTURE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3328 TO BE ANSWERED ON 9 TH

## DECEMBER, 2019

## INTER-STATE CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

## † 3328.  SHRI SUMEDHANAND SARASWATI:

## Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is taking steps for promoting inter-State cultural development programme with a view to increase harmony among people of various States and communities and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the steps being taken by the Government  for  promoting  cultural exchange between various States and communities of the country;
- (c) the  details  of  States  along  with  Rajasthan  where  these  kind  of  festivals were organised during the last two years;
- (d) whether  the  Government  has  organised  such  kind  of  Indian  cultural festivals abroad during the said period;
- (e) if so, the details thereof; and
- (f) the extent to which these festivals proved successful for promoting our culture abroad?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE (I/C) FOR CULTURE AND TOURISM (SHRI PRAHLAD SINGH PATEL)

(a) to (c) The mandate of the Ministry of Culture is to protect, preserve & promote various forms of folk art and culture throughout the country and to meet this objective, the  Government  of India has set up seven Zonal Cultural Centres (ZCCs) with headquarters  at  Patiala,  Nagpur,  Udaipur,  Prayagraj,  Kolkata,  Dimapur  and  Thanjavur. These  ZCCs  engage  cultural  troupes  from  different  States  to  participate  in  the  major festivals  under  National  Cultural  Exchange  Programme  (NCEP)  and  organize  various cultural festivals and programmes on regular basis in all the States/UTs of India including Rajasthan.

Ministry of Culture has organized Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsavs (RSMs) at  New Delhi (November, 2015 and October, 2016), Uttar Pradesh (December, 2016), Karnataka & Arunachal  Pradesh  (March,  2017),  Gujarat  (October,  2017),  Karnataka  (January,  2018), Madhya  Pradesh  (February,  2018  &  October,  2019)  and  Uttarakhand  (May,  2018).  A Sanskriti Mahotsav was also organized at Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh during February, 2018. All the ZCCs alongwith other organizations under Ministry of Culture have participated in the Kumbh Mela, 2019 at Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh.

(d) to (f) The  Ministry  of  Culture  organizes  Festivals  of  India  abroad  to  promote Indian Culture. These festivals are organized through Indian Missions abroad. During the last two years, Festivals of India have been organized in the following countries:

| Years   | Countries                                                                                                                                                     |
|---------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 2017-18 | United Kingdom, Thailand, Brazil, Ivory Coast (Cote d'Ivoire), Liberia and Guinea, Uzbekistan, Fiji, Kiribati, Tonga, Vanuatu, Nauru, Tuvalu and Cook Islands |
| 2018-19 | Tunisia, Russia, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, Croatia, Qatar, Nepal, Colombia and Ecuador.                                                                  |

The  cultural  events  during  Festivals  of  India  organized  abroad  are  attended  by large  number  of  people  in  general,  VIPs,  Government  officials,  academicians,  business community and members of Diplomatic Corps etc. These events provide opportunity to the local people to watch live performances of different art forms thereby leaving longlasting impact on them.