Lok Sabha Question No. 113 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-07-19
Subject: Scheme for Pension and Medical Aid to Artists
Ministry: CULTURE
Asked by: L.S. Tejasvi Surya

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CULTURE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.113 TO BE ANSWERED ON 19.07.2021

## SCHEME FOR PENSION AND MEDICAL AID TO ARTISTS

## 113.  SHRI L.S. TEJASVI SURYA:

Will  the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state:

- (a)  the  number  of  applicants  benefitted  under  the  Scheme  for  Pension  and  Medical  Aid  to Artists during the last three years;
- (b) the details and release of funds under the said Scheme State-wise.
- (c)  the  State/Union  territory-wise  details  of  such  artists  benefitted  under  the  scheme  during each year of the last two years and the current year;
- (d)  whether  the  Government  has  taken  any  other  efforts  in  providing  assistance  to  the distressed artists due to Covid pandemic;  and
- (e) if so, the details thereof ?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER FOR CULTURE, TOURISM AND DEVELOPMENT OF NORTH EASTERN REGION (SHRI G. KISHAN REDDY)

- (a)  A  total  of  9308  applicants  are  benefitted  during  the  last  three  years  under  the  Scheme  of Pension and Medical Aid to Artistes. The year -wise details are as follows:-
*  Payment  of  pension  is  done  on  submission  of  requisite  documents  (Annual  Income Certificate and Digital Life Certificate).
- #  Number  in  2020-21  decreased  due  to  non  submission  of  requisite  documents  by  the approved pensioner.
- (b)  The  Scheme  for  Pension  and  Medical  Aid  to  Artistes  is  a  Central  Sector  Scheme  and  no financial assistance is routed through States/UTs.  However the details of fund released under the aforesaid Scheme during the last three years are as follows:-
- (c)  The  Scheme  for  Pension  and  Medical  Aid  to  Artistes  is  a  Central  Sector  Scheme  and  no financial assistance is routed through States/UTs.  However the details of artistes benefitted under the aforesaid Scheme during each year of the last two years and current year are as follows:-.
- (d) & (e) Steps taken to provide assistance to the distressed artistes due to Covid pandemic is at Annexure-'X'.

| Financial Year   | Number of beneficiaries paid *   |
|------------------|----------------------------------|
| 2018-19          | 4120                             |
| 2019-20          | 3188                             |
| 2020-21          | 2000 #                           |

| Financial Year   |   Funds Allocated (in crores) |   Total fund released (in crores) |
|------------------|-------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
| 2018-19          |                         25    |                             19.73 |
| 2019-20          |                         21.15 |                             18.17 |
| 2020-21          |                         12.36 |                              8.71 |

| Financial Year   |   Total artistes benefitted under the Scheme |
|------------------|----------------------------------------------|
| 2019-20          |                                         3188 |
| 2020-21          |                                         2000 |
| 2021-22          |                                          155 |

## STEPS TAKEN TO HELP THE ARTISTS DURING COVID PANDEMIC

-  In  view  of  the  prevailing  conditions,  the  Ministry  of  Culture  issued  guidelines  in October, 2020 to help artists/organizations who have already been sanctioned grant under  various  scheme  components  of  'Kala  Sanskriti  Vikas  Yojana  (KSVY)'  to conduct events on virtual mode. This will enable them to avail benefits under these schemes even if they are not able to stage programs in the physical format as before and will ensure continued financial assistance to tide over the present crisis.
-  All efforts have been made to release the funds to already approved grantees under various schemes of the P.Arts Bureau. The funds released during the first quarter of F.Y. 2020-21 was much more than that released during 1st quarter of FY 2019-2020. Similar efforts are being made in this financial year also.
-  In cases of renewal cases under Repertory Grant, after every four years mandatory inspection is required to be undertaken. For fresh cases before release of first grant inspection  is  compulsory  as  per  existing  guidelines.  In  view  of  the  lockdown conditions  of  COVID-19  exemption  has  been  granted  to  organizations  from  above mentioned mandatory inspection  for release  of  yearly  grant  under  Repertory  Grant Scheme for the last  year as well as current year.
-  All help is also being extended to the beneficiaries for completing various procedural formalities  like  compliance  of  mandatory  EAT  (Expenditure  Advance  Transfer) Module  of Public Financial Management System (PFMS).  This is a module of PFMS which  is  being  operated  by  Ministry  of  Finance.    Organisations  who  are  receiving grants from the Ministries are required to file their expenditure details on the portal.  In view  of  the  prevalent  Covid  conditions,  for  the  Scheme  component  of  Cultural Function & Production Grant (CFPG), one-time exemption has been granted to the organizations from filing the expenditure in EAT module for release of 1 st instalment to the grantees of 43 rd and previous meetings of CFPGS.
-  In view of COVID-19, under the Scheme of Scholarship & Fellowship for Promotion of Art & Culture, selection of Senior Fellows for the Batch Year 2019-20 & mid-term and final evaluation of 06 monthly reports of earlier batches (upto Batch Year 2017-18) in respect of both Junior/Senior Fellows has been held through virtual mode in view of the large number of members of the expert committee.
-  Under  the  scheme  of  'Artists  Pension'  one  time  exemption  has  been  granted regarding submission of the mandatory annual income certificate by the pensioners.
-  All  the  ZCCs  have  encouraged  the  folk  artists/artisans  to  get  registered  with  their member States in order to avail the schemes announced by the states.
-  Efforts made to engage artists during Commemoration events enabling them to avail financial benefits out of the grants released by the Ministry.
-  Folk artists from member States are offered ZCC's online platforms to showcase their performance and earn some money. These folk artists are being paid honorarium as per the existing norms.
-  During the first lockdown the ZCC's organised 881 virtual programs which benefitted 22,070 artists  &  Rs  2.82Crs  were  distributed  as  honorarium  ranging  from Rs.  5005100 (Groups paid Rs 25000-50000). Similar efforts being continued this year too.
-  Live online performances on social media handles like Facebook, YouTube etc. by folk  &  tribal  artists,  Webinars  etc.  are  being  conducted  in  addition  to  charity performances by renowned artists.
-  South Zone Cultural centre (SZCC), Thanjavur in association with a Chennai based NGO Samarpana organized an online fund raising programme 'Notes of Nector-100 for  1000'  participated  by  eminent  artists  from  North  and  South.  This  fund  raiser initiative has enabled 1200 families of folk artists to get financial assistance groceries etc. during Covid-19 pandemic.
-  After  both  the  Amphan  and  Yash  cyclones,  the  artistes  living  in  the  worst  affected areas of Sunderbans, namely Sandeshkhali, Fraserganj and Gosaba were visited by EZCC teams and given help in the form of dry food.
-  All  ZCC's  took  care  of  artistes  admitted  to  hospitals/nursing  homes  and  held consultations with doctors to ensure the best treatment for them.
-  Vaccination  Camps  in  collaboration  with  a  multispecialty  hospital  in  Kolkata  was arranged by EZCC through CSR fund for their artistes.
-  Emergency lifesaving medicines/injections required by some of the artists admitted in the  hospital  were  arranged  by  ZCC's  through  Health  Department  of  the  State Governments.
-  During  the  period  of  COVID-19  outbreak  the  Centre  for  Cultural  Resources  and Training  (CCRT) has substantialized e-learning  workshop as pilot project on Virtual Classroom (online) platform. This e-learning workshop introduces the participants to the rich fabric to artistic and cultural heritage of India.
-  During  May  -  2020  to  till  date    CCRT  organised  29  E-learning Workshops  and  01 Workshop in blended mode, in which 222 Experts / Resource Persons/ Artists/Musician/Theatre  Artists/  Dancers/Craftsmen  /Accompanists  have  been  paid honorarium and TA as per CCRT norms.
-  CCRT organized a series of recorded live solo performances of CCRT Scholarship holders  and  Young  Scholar  Artistes  under  the  theme 'Meri  Kala  Hi  Meri  Pehchan Hai' on  CCRT's  Face  book  page.  CCRT  has  telecasted  48  numbers  of  episodes from May 2020 to April 2021 in which 157 numbers of Scholarship holders and young Scholar Artistes have performed and showcased their talents. In both these events financial benefits were provided to the Experts as well as the Scholarship holders and Young Scholar Artists.
-  Since  the  lockdown in  March,  2020,  Sangeet Natak Akademi  has  been conducting online activities like Antrang, Abhivyakti, Deeksha  and  Kalaadhar.  The  artist, technicians,  back  stage  designers  and  other  ancillary  artists  invited  for  this  events have  been  paid  the  performance  fee  as  per  Akademi  norms  so  that  they  can  be benefitted monetarily during the Covid pandemic.