Lok Sabha Question No. 1179 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-07-25
Subject: Promotion of Tamil Literary, Visual and Performing Arts
Ministry: CULTURE
Asked by: Dayanidhi Maran

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF CULTURE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1179

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 25.07.2022

## PROMOTION OF TAMIL LITERARY, VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS

## 1179.  SHRI DAYANIDHI MARAN :

## Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state:

- (a) the  different  programmes  being  conducted  for the  promotion  of Tamil  literary,  visual and performing arts and the current budget allocated in this regard;
- (b) the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  promote  Tamil  as  a  classical  language  since 2014;
- (c) the  various  budgets  allocated,  expenditures  incurred  and  grants  sought  for  the promotion of Tamil during the last five years, year-wise;
- (d) the  various  budgets  allocated,  expenditures  incurred  and  grants  sought  for  the promotion of other languages during the last five years, year-wise and language-wise; and
- (e) the steps taken to promote research and study of Tamil along with the steps taken to study, exhibit and promote history of ancient Tamil culture?

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

## ANSWER

- (a) Ministry of Culture through its various organizations, conducts many programmes such as  festivals,  seminars,  research  work,  symposium,  cultural  performances  etc.  for  the promotion of literary, visual and performing arts through various organizations working under its domain.

Sahitya  Akademi,  an  autonomous  body  under  M/o  Culture,  has  been  extensively publishing literature, translation, history of literature, seminar papers, etc. in 24 Indian languages including the Tamil language, besides it also organizes literary programmes such  as  Seminars  -  regional,  national  and  international,  Symposia,  Meet  the  Author, Translation  Workshops,  Kathasandhi,  Kavisandhi,  Through  My  Window,  People  and Books in Tamil language. The Encyclopedia of Indian Literature has included almost all the significant writers in Tamil.

Lalit Kala Akademi  (LKA), another  autonomous  body  under  Ministry of Culture, encourages  and  promotes  study  and  research  in  the  field  of  visual  Arts.  LKA  awards scholarships  to  the  young  budding  artists  every  year  and  regularly  organizes  various programmes / Art Camps in the field of Visual arts to encourage Artists to show cause their  skills  and  talents.  During  last  5  Years,  LKA,  RC,  Chennai  has  organized  33  Art programmes in  Chennai  to  preserve  and  to  promote  the  culture  in  the  field  of  visual arts.

Sangeet  Natak  Akademi  (SNA)  showcases  several  performing  art  forms  of  Tamilnadu including   Karagattam,   Kavadiattam,   Oyilattam, Kai  Silambu  Attam,  Poikkal  Kuthirai Attam, Devarattam e.t.c. in the various events organized by it at different parts of the India.

The South Zone Cultural Centre (SZCC) in collaboration with Dept of Art and Culture, Puducherry  conducted various Tamil Literary programmes such as Birth Anniversary of Bharathiyar  Vizha,  Birth  Anniversary  o  fPavendar  Bharathidasan  Vizha,  Port  Tamil  Oli Vizha,  Poet  Vanidasan  Vizha,  Poet  Puduvai  Sivam  Vizha  in  which  Kaviyarangam, Pattarangam, Isaiyarangam, Pattimandram were conducted.

The total budget allocated by the Government of India for the promotion of literature, visual and performing arts is Rs. 365.35 crores (under the head Support to Akademies) for the current financial year.

- (b)to(e)  In 2009, the Government has established a separate institute namely Central Institute of Classical Tamil (CICT), Chennai which works for the development and promotion of Classical  Tamil, through seminars, workshops, short term projects and translation of Tirukkural  and  other  ancient  Tamil  texts  into  Scheduled  Languages  and  other languages. Following grants have been released during last five years for promotion of Classical Tamil to CICT, Chennai.

| Year    | Grant released (Rs.)   | Expenditure incurred (Rs)   |
|---------|------------------------|-----------------------------|
| 2017-18 | 10,67,62,739           | 10,27,62,739                |
| 2018-19 | 4,65,25,000            | 5,46,65,205                 |
| 2019-20 | 9,80,78,393            | 9,83,54,528                 |
| 2020-21 | 11,73,00,000           | 11,87,11,623                |
| 2021-22 | 11,86,15,000           | 11,83,07,237                |

The policy of the Government of India is to promote all Indian Languages including Tamil  and  several  steps  have  been  taken  in  this  regard.  National  Education  Policy (NEP) 2020 provides, wherever possible, for medium of instruction to be in the home language/mother tongue/local language upto at least class 5 and preferably upto class 8. Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL), Mysore works for the promotion of all Indian languages including Scheduled/Non-Scheduled and Classical languages. Grants for this are not released separately language wise. In addition to the above, Grants for Promotion  of  Indian  Languages  (GPIL)  are  allocated  for  promotion  of  Sindhi,  Urdu, Sanskrit, Hindi and other Scheduled/Non-Scheduled languages under various schemes. The details of grants allocated for last five years is as follows:

Rs (in crores)

|   2017-18 |   2018-19 |   2019-20 |   2020-21 |   2021-22 |
|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
|    450.13 |    449.47 |    561.47 |    474.28 |    350.38 |