Lok Sabha Question No. 1955 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-13
Subject: Centres for Tribal Culture
Ministry: TRIBAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: Ramesh Chandra Majhi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO- 1955

TO BE ANSWERED ON- 13/03/2023

## CENTRES FOR TRIBAL CULTURE

## 1955. SHRI RAMESH CHANDRA MAJHI:

Will the Minister of Tribal Affairs be pleased to state:

- (a) whether there are any centres for tribal culture in the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (b)  the  details  of  the  Government  Schemes  /  programmes  including  the  initiatives  to  support  the building and development of such centres;
- (c)  the  steps  being  taken  by  the  Government  to  conserve  and  promote  tribal  culture  ,  archives  and artifacts; and
- (d)  the  details  of  the  Government  initiatives  in  Odisha  ,  especially  in  Koraput,  Nabarangpur  and Malkanagiri districts?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR TRIBAL AFFAIRS (SMT. RENUKA SINGH SARUTA)

- (a)  to  (c): The  Ministry  of  Culture  is  the  nodal  Ministry  for  promotion  of  culture  including  tribal culture.  As informed by Ministry of Culture, to conserve and promote various forms of folk art and tribal culture throughout the country, 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  organize  cultural  activities/  programmes  in  their  member  States  on  a  regular  basis  for which annual  grant-in-aid  is  provided  to  them  by  the  Ministry  for  this  purpose.  For  these  activities, tribal  artists  are  engaged  by  these  ZCCs  for  which  they  are  paid  honorarium,  TA/DA,  boarding  & lodging  and local  transportation  to  support  them  and  to  earn  their  livelihood.  Further,  OCTAVE  -  a festival of the North East is organized by all the seven Zonal Cultural Centres to promote folk/ tribal culture of the North Eastern States and to showcase the rich cultural heritage of the North East.
2.    Under  Ministry  of  Culture,  Central  Institute  of  Himalayan  Culture  Studies,  Dahung  (Arunachal Pradesh)  and  the  following  three  grantee  bodies  located  in  the  North  Eastern  States  are  engaged  in preserving and promoting the folk/ tribal art and culture of the NE Region:-
- i.     Centre for Buddhist Studies, Tawang Monastery, Arunachal Pradesh
- ii.    Namgyal Institute Of Tibetology, Gangtok
- iii.   GRL Monastic School, Bomdila, Arunachal Pradesh

3      Ministry of Tribal Affairs is implementing the schemes of 'Support to Tribal Research Institute' and  'Tribal  Research,  Information,  Education,  Communication  and  Events'  under  which  various activities  are  undertaken  to  conserve  and  promote  tribal  culture,  archives,  artifacts,  customs  and traditions of the tribal communities.  Some of the initiatives worth mentioning are as under:

(i).   To  acknowledge the heroic and patriotic deeds of tribal people and to exhibit rich tribal cultural heritage of the region, Ministry has sanctioned 10 Tribal Freedom Fighters Museum.

(ii). Ministry has developed searchable digital repository where all research papers, books, reports and documents,  folks  songs,  photos/videos  are  uploaded.  The  repository  currently  has  more  than  10,000 photographs, videos and publications which are mostly done by TRIs. The repositories can be visited at https://repository.tribal.gov.in/ (Tribal Digital Document Repository) and https://tribal.nic.in/repository/ (Tribal Repository).

(iii).    Ministry gives  funding  to  TRIFED for organizing Adi Mahotsav festival at National and State level.  State level festivals like Hornbill festival of Nagaland, Medaram Jatra of Telangana are funded through TRI scheme.

(iv).TRIFED organizes Tribal Artisan Melas (TAMs) to   identify   new   artisans   and   new   products   at   the sourcing level in States/Districts/Villages for expanding the tribal producers base.

(v).   The Ethnographic Museum of the states preserve and showcase rare artifacts related to life and culture of various tribes.

(d): Academy of Tribal Languages and Culture (ATLC), Bhubaneswar is functioning as a center for tribal  culture  in  Odisha.  It  is  an  autonomous  body  under  the  administrative  control  of  ST  &  SC Development, Minorities & Backward Classes Welfare Department, Govt. of Odisha, functioning since 1979 to preserve and promote the language, art & craft, dance, painting and cultural heritage of tribal communities in Odisha. Ministry of Tribal Affairs is releasing funds to States under centrally sponsored scheme Support to TRI based on their proposal. The following initiatives have been taken by ATLC in Koraput, Malkanagiri and Nabarangapur district of Odisha.

(i) ATLC  has  reprinted  the  compilation  book  written  by  Late  Gopinath  Mohanty  titled  "Koraput Anchala ra Adivasi Bhasa O' Sanskruti".

(ii)  Audio-video  documentation  on  the  music  and  dance  of  the  Koya,  Bonda  and  Paraja  tribes  of Malkanagiri and Koraput Districts.

(iii) Tri-lingual proficiency module (self-language learning hand book) and Bi-lingual Dictionaries in Desia,  Gadaba,  Koya,  Gondi,  Bonda,  Didayi  languages   belonging   to  Koraput,  Malkanagiri  and Nabarangapur  regions  have  been  developed,  published  and  distributed  to  the  school  and  all  Govt. Institutions (from G.P to district level offices) for popularization of tribal languages.

- (iv)  In order to preserve and promote the culture of the tribes; particularly the Desia of Koraput and the Koya of Malkanagiri district of Odisha, one research project on "Riddles & its interpretation among the selected tribal communities of Odisha" is under progress

The  details  of  funds  released  to  State  Government  of  Odisha  during  the   03  years  under  Support  to TRIs  is at Annexure I.

Annexure-I

Annex referred to in reply to part (d) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No.1955 for answer on 13.03.2023

The  details  of  funds  released  to  State  Government  of  Odisha  during  03  years  under  the  scheme 'Support to TRIs'

## Amount in lakhs

|       | State   | Fund Released   | Fund Released   | Fund Released   |
|-------|---------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
| S. N. |         | 2020-21         | 2021-22         | 2022-23         |
| 1     | Odisha  | 503.00          | 644.76          | 313.15          |

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