Lok Sabha Question No. 1614 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-02-13
Subject: Income and Expenditure of ICCR
Ministry: EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: SONA RAM CHOUDHARY

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1614 TO BE ANSWERED ON 13.02.2019

## INCOME AND EXPENDITURE OF ICCR

## †1614. COL. SONARAM CHOUDHARY:

Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) the steps being taken for making India a cultural superpower;
- (b) the details of the works being done through the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR);
- (c) the details of the income and expenditure of ICCR during each of the last four years and the current year;
- (d) whether the Government is taking/proposes to take any concrete steps on the   report   submitted   to   the   Ministry   of   External   Affairs   by   the Parliamentary Committee and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) whether the Government intends to promote the cultural   campaigns empowering ICCR in comparison to the foreign diplomacy by providing more financial assistance and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

## [GEN. (DR) V. K. SINGH (RETD)]

(a) & (b) Government of India is taking many steps to promote culture of India.     This   work   is   being   done   by   several   Ministries   and   Departments   of Government of India as well as autonomous bodies working under them.   As an autonomous body under Ministry of External Affairs, work undertaken by Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) includes establishing Indian Cultural Centres abroad, sponsoring visits of performing art groups, hosting cultural groups from abroad   and   organizing   their   performances   in   various   cities   of   India, organizing/supporting conferences/Seminars/workshops in various fields including   Yoga   &   Ayurveda,   establishing   Chairs   of   Indian   Studies   in   various foreign   universities,   offering   scholarships   to   students   to   study   in   India, supporting visits of eminent academicians/ dignitaries to India, promotion of Hindi   and   other   Indian   languages   including   publication   of   Gaganachal   a   bimonthly Hindi journal, commissioning of busts/ statues of Indian Leaders and visual art exhibitions, administering various awards, maintaining of collection of over 10,000 rare books/ manuscripts donated by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, organizing International Day of Yoga, and organizing festivals/India Week etc.

(c) The details of income and expenditure of ICCR during each of the last four years and the current year are as follows:

| Financial Year   |   Income (Grant-in-Aid from MEA) | Expenditure                |
|------------------|----------------------------------|----------------------------|
| 2014-15          |                           167.2  | 157.02                     |
| 2015-16          |                           192    | 140.40                     |
| 2016-17          |                           185.37 | 186.30                     |
| 2017-18          |                           233.14 | 189.22                     |
| 2018-19          |                           235    | 167.44 (upto January 2019) |

(d) Yes.   Action Taken Report has been laid on the table of the House on 4 April, 2018.

(e) Yes Sir, Government has been increasing the Grant given to ICCR.  There was a significant increase from Rs. 185.80 crore in 2016-17 to Rs. 233.14 in 2017-18 and for Current Financial Year Grant is Rs.235.00 crore.

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