Lok Sabha Question No. 1102 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-12-17
Subject: Financial Assistance to Artists
Ministry: CULTURE
Asked by: MUTHAMSETTI SRINIVASA RAO (AVNTHI), NARANBHAI KACHHADIA, HARI MANJHI, RAMDAS CHANDRABHANJI TADAS, BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO, R.P. MARUTHARAJAA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CULTURE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1102 TO BE ANSWERED ON 17.12.2018

## FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO ARTISTS

## 1102. SHRI MUTHAMSETTI SRINIVASA RAO (AVANTHI):

SHRI NARANBHAI KACHHADIYA:

SHRI HARI MANJHI:

SHRI RAMDAS C. TADAS:

SHRI BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO:

SHRI R.P. MARUTHARAJJA:

Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has any scheme to provide financial assistance to the artists for pension and medical facility;
- (b) if  so,  the  details  of  funds  sanctioned  during  the  last  four  years  along  with  the number  of  artists  who  have  been  provided  financial  assistance  under  this scheme during the last four years, State/UT-wise;
- (c) whether  any  financial  help  like  scholarship  and  honorarium  is  also  being provided to the artists for propagating, spreading and building their local culture in  different  parts of the country during the last four years and if so, the details thereof, State/UT-wise;
- (d) the details and number of applications regarding payment of honorarium to the artists  pending  with  the  Government  along  with  the  reasons  therefor  and  the steps being taken by the Government to clear such applications at the earliest; and
- (e) whether the Government would consider increasing the amount of funds being given to the artists and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE (I/C) FOR CULTURE AND MINISTER OF STATE FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (DR. MAHESH SHARMA)

(a  &  b)    Yes,  Madam.  Government  of  India  is  administering  a  scheme  namely 'Scheme for Pension and Medical and Aid to Artists'.  The funds released during the last four years under this Scheme are as under:-

| Financial Year   | Amount (Rs. in crore)   |
|------------------|-------------------------|
| 2014-2015        | Rs.15.63                |
| 2015-2016        | Rs.13.86                |
| 2016-2017        | Rs.13.17                |
| 2017-2018        | Rs.15.30                |

Number of beneficiaries State/UT-wise under the Scheme are at Annexure-I.

- (c)  Yes,  Madam.  Government  of  India  also  administers  a  Scheme  component  of scholarship to young artists (SYA) under the Scheme of Scholarship & Fellowship for promotion of Art and Culture. The amount of scholarship under this Scheme is not released State-wise but directly into the bank account of beneficiaries. However, the funds released during the last four years under this scheme component are as under:-
- (d)  No  application  is  pending  at  part  of  the  Government.    Applications  received under the scheme/scheme-component are processed regularly as per provisions of scheme guidelines.
- (f)  No such proposal is under consideration.

| Financial Year   |   Number of scholarship awarded year-wise @Rs.5000/- per month |
|------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|
| 2014-2015        |                                                            212 |
| 2015-2016        |                                                            283 |
| 2016-2017        |                                                            310 |
| 2017-2018        |                                                            317 |

## Annexure-I

Annexure to the reply of part (a) & (b) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1102 to be answered on 17.12.2018 on "Financial Assistance to Artists".

| Sl. No.   | States           | 2014- 15   | 2015- 16   | 2016-17   |   2017-18 |
|-----------|------------------|------------|------------|-----------|-----------|
| 1         | Andhra Pradesh   | 304        | 295        | 312       |       324 |
| 2         | Assam            | 28         | 28         | 34        |        37 |
| 3         | Bihar            | 38         | 38         | 41        |        41 |
| 4         | Delhi            | 38         | 38         | 42        |        42 |
| 5         | Goa              | 7          | 7          | 8         |         8 |
| 6         | Gujarat          | 5          | 5          | 5         |         5 |
| 7         | Haryana          | 28         | 28         | 28        |        29 |
| 8         | Himachal Pradesh | 6          | 6          | 6         |         6 |
| 9         | Jammu & Kashmir  | NIL        | NIL        | 2         |         2 |
| 10        | Jharkhand        | 6          | 6          | 7         |        13 |
| 11        | Karnataka        | 613        | 588        | 673       |       673 |
| 12        | Kerala           | 219        | 212        | 288       |       315 |
| 13        | Madhya Pradesh   | 30         | 30         | 45        |        48 |
| 14        | Maharashtra      | 760        | 684        | 871       |       871 |
| 15        | Manipur          | 109        | 97         | 117       |       124 |
| 16        | Meghalaya        | 1          | 1          | 1         |         1 |
| 17        | Mizoram          | 4          | 4          | 5         |         5 |
| 18        | Nagaland         | NIL        | NIL        | 2         |         2 |
| 19        | Odisha           | 218        | 198        | 241       |       241 |
| 20        | Puducherry       | 6          | 6          | 6         |         6 |
| 21        | Punjab           | 3          | 3          | 7         |         7 |
| 22        | Rajasthan        | 3          | 3          | 14        |        14 |
| 23        | Tamil Nadu       | 185        | 165        | 229       |       229 |
| 24        | Telangana        | 90         | 90         | 103       |       103 |
| 25        | Tripura          | NIL        | NIL        | NIL       |         1 |
| 26        | Uttar Pradesh    | 198        | 188        | 201       |       202 |
| 27        | Uttarakhand      | 8          | 8          | 11        |        11 |
| 28        | West Bengal      | 60         | 60         | 77        |        77 |
| Total     | Total            | 2967       | 2788       | 3376      |      3437 |