Lok Sabha Question No. 137 (STARRED), answered on 2021-02-10
Subject: Promoting Art and Culture of NER
Ministry: DEVELOPMENT OF NORTH EASTERN REGION
Asked by: Ashok Mahadeorao Nete

Government of India Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION No. † *137

To be answered on

Wednesday, February 10, 2021/Magha 21, 1942 (Saka)

## QUESTION

## Promoting Art and Culture of NER

†*137. SHRI ASHOK MAHADEORAO NETE:

Will the Minister of DEVELOPMENT OF NORTH EASTERN REGION be pleased to state:

(a) the steps being taken by the Government to promote Art and Culture of NorthEastern Region (NER) across the country; and the  steps  being  taken  to  promote  the  food  and  handicraft  items  of  the  said

## ANSWER

## The Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region [Dr. Jitendra Singh]

- (a) and (b) A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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- (b) region?

## Statement  referred  to  in  reply  to  parts  (a)  and  (b)  of  the  Lok  Sabha  Starred Question       No.*137 for answer on 10.02.2021.

(a)  &  (b):      To  protect,  promote  and  preserve  various  forms  of  folk  art  and  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. Further, to protect and promote the rich and diverse traditions and culture of NE Region, the Government of India has set up North East Zone Cultural Centre  (NEZCC)  at  Dimapur  and  Eastern  Zonal  Cultural  Centre  (EZCC)  at  Kolkata (autonomous  organizations  under  Ministry  of  Culture).  Arunachal  Pradesh,  Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura are the member States of NEZCC, Dimapur and Assam, Manipur, Sikkim and Tripura are also the member States of EZCC, Kolkata. These ZCCs organize various cultural activities and programmes in North-East Region on regular basis. OCTAVE - a festival of the North East is organized by all seven Zonal Cultural Centres to promote folk culture of the North Eastern States. For this purpose, artists of the North East region are engaged by ZCCs to showcase the rich cultural heritage of North East. 93% of the budget allocation provided to the ZCCs is incurred on the folk and tribal art forms.

In  addition,  there  is  one  autonomous  organization  namely  Central  Institute  of Himalayan  Culture  Studies,  Dahung  (Arunachal  Pradesh)  and  the  following  three grantee bodies located in the North Eastern States which are engaged in preserving and promoting the folk 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

Further, Performing Arts Bureau implements various financial grant schemes to preserve, promote and protect various forms of arts and culture including those of NE Region by way of extending financial support to individuals and organizations.

Centre for Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT), an autonomous organization under the aegis of  Ministry  of  Culture  is  working  in  the  field  of  linking  education  with culture  by  way  of  providing  culture  based  methodology  training  to  teachers,  teacher educators  and  cultural  administrators  across  the  country  as  well  as  by  implementing scholarship and fellowship schemes for preservation and promotion of diverse, varied and  rich  Indian  cultural  heritage  including  the  art  &  culture  of  NER,  which  is  being manifested  through  various  performing,  literary  and  visual  art  forms.  The  CCRT  also organizes  various  training  programmes  for  In-service  government  and  government aided school teachers and teacher educators throughout the year, for dissemination of Indian  Culture  at  the  grass  root  level  by  training  them  for  incorporating  the  cultural component  in class room  teaching. The  Regional Centre Guwahati, Assam  is established  with  an  objective  to  cater  and  train  teachers  and  students  for  promoting Traditional Culture and Art of North-Eastern Region.

Ministry of Tribal Affairs under the scheme of Institutional Support for development and marketing of Tribal Product/Produce releases Grants-in-aid to State Tribal Development  Cooperative  Corporations (STDCCs)  and  Tribal Cooperative Marketing  Development  Federation  of  India  Ltd.  (TRIFED)  which  is  a  multi-State Cooperative  under  Ministry  of  Tribal  Affairs.  TRIFED  provides  marketing  platform  for tribal products through its network of 73 own Tribes India outlets and 33 consignment counters  and  15  franchise  outlets  in  State  Emporium  located  across  the  country. TRIFED also organized National Tribal Festival titled 'Aadi Mahotsav' for development of  traditional  art  and  culture  of  tribal  population  which  includes  food  and  handicraft items.  In  addition,  Ministry  of  Tribal  Affairs  through  its  scheme    "Support  to  TRIs' supports the State Governments to set up new Tribal Research Institutes (TRIs) where it  didn't  exist  and  to  strengthen  functioning  of  existing  TRIs  to  carry  out  its  core responsibility  towards  Research  &  Documentations,  Training  and  capacity  building, promotion  of  rich  tribal  heritage  etc.  To  preserve  tribal  art  and  culture,  financial assistance  is  also  provided  to  TRI's  to  carry  out  various  activities  to  preserve  and promote tribal culture and heritage across the country through research and documentation,  maintenance  and  preservation  of  art  &  artefacts,  setting  up  of  tribal museum,  exchange  visits  for  the  tribals  to  other  parts  of  the  State,  organizing  tribal festivals  etc.  Through  the  Scheme 'Tribal  Festival,  Research,  Information  and  Mass Education', the Ministry focuses on promotion of rich tribal cultural heritage, dissemination of information and creation of awareness, which includes organization of Tribal Craft & Food Festivals, Sports, Music, Dance & Photo Competitions, Science, Art

&  Craft  Expos,  Workshops,  Seminars,  Production  of  documentary  films,  bringing  out publications  thereby  highlighting  significant  studies,  documenting  historical  facets  of tribal  communities,  achievements  of  Ministry  of  Tribal  Affairs  &  State  departments besides other advertisements etc. at regular intervals.

Ministry  of  Development  of  North  Eastern  Region  (MDoNER),  through  North Eastern  Council  and  its  Central  Public  Sector  Enterprises  (CPSEs)  make  continuous efforts  toward  promotion  of  art  and  culture  including  food  and  handicrafts  of  North Eastern Region (NER). An annual event viz .  Destination North East (DNE) Festival is organized  by  the  Ministry,  since  2016,  with  an  object  to  showcase  the  inherent economic, social and cultural strength of the NER. This event was held at Chandigarh (2017), Delhi (2016 and 2018), Varanasi (2019). In 2020, this event was held virtually, due to restrictions imposed on account of COVID-19. North Eastern Council (NEC) has also  been  supporting  many  events  and  festivals  showcasing  art  and  culture  of  NER across the country.

North  Eastern  Handicrafts  and  Handlooms  Development  Corporation  Limited (NEHHDC), a CPSU under Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region, procures handicrafts and handlooms from artisans and weavers from all the eight North Eastern states  and  retails  the  same  through  its  chain  of  "Purbashree"  Emporia  located  at Shillong, Guwahati, Kolkata, New Delhi, Kevadia (Near Statue of Unity, Gujarat) and its Sales Promotion Office at Chennai.

North Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation Ltd. (NERAMAC), a PSU under Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region promotes art and culture of  North  Eastern  Region  through  participation  in  various  events  and  exhibitions. NERAMAC has also organized several events including Bihu Festival at Dilli Haat, INA, New Delhi to make people aware about the culture of NER.

North East Cane and Bamboo Development Council (NECBDC), a society under NEC, has recently conducted a workshop and exhibition in Jammu to show case and promote bamboo technology and bamboo handicrafts expertise of NER.

Ministry of Food Processing Industries is also implementing scheme of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samapada Yojana (PMKSY) for strengthening Food Processing infrastructure of the country including North Eastern Region.

Further, Ministry of Textiles also implements various schemes for promotion and development  of  art  and  culture  across  the  country  including  North  Eastern  region through  'National  Handicraft  Development  Programme  (NHDP)'  and  Comprehensive Handicrafts Cluster Development Scheme (CHCDS) to emphasize integrated approach for development of handicraft in a holistic manner.

Ministry  of  Minority  Affairs  launched  a  scheme  viz.  Upgrading  the  Skills  and Training  in  Traditional  Arts/  Crafts  for  Development  (USTTAD)  on  14th  May,  2015  at Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh). The scheme aims at capacity building and upgrading of the traditional  skills  of  master  craftsmen/artisans;  documentation  of  identified  traditional arts/crafts of minorities; set standards for traditional skills; training of minority youths in various identified traditional arts/crafts through master craftsmen; and develop national and  international  market  linkages;  and  preservation  of  languishing  Arts/Crafts.  The scheme is implemented for preservation and promotion of traditional arts/crafts being practiced by minority communities notified under National Commission for Minorities Act 1992 (viz.  Muslims,  Christians,  Sikhs,  Buddhists,  Parsis  and  Jains)  and  its  promotion with market linkages. The scheme is taken up anywhere in the country. At least 10% projects  should  be  set  up  in  the  North  East  region.  The  Ministry  has  also  engaged institutions of national repute namely, National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), National  Institute  of  Design  (NID)  and  Indian  Institute  of  Packaging  (IIP)  to  work  in various  craft  clusters  for  design  intervention,  product  range  development,  packaging, exhibitions  and  brand  building  etc.  Hunar  Haat  implemented  under  USTTAD  scheme provides opportunity to minority artisans/craftsmen and culinary experts from across the country to showcase  and  market  their finest handicraft and  exquisitely crafted indigenous products, which has also generated employment and employment opportunities for artisans, craftspersons and associated persons and has strengthened their  market linkages in the Hunar Haats organized so far through National Minorities Development & Finance Corporation (NMDFC) and Maulana Azad Education Foundation  (MAEF),  24  Hunar  Haats  have  been  organized  since  November  2016 across the country. The 25th Hunar Haat is being organized at Mysuru, Karnataka from 06.02.2021 to 14.02.2021.

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