Lok Sabha Question No. 635 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-07-24
Subject: Establishment of Regional Cultural Centres for Promotion of Folk Art and Culture
Ministry: CULTURE
Asked by: Hema Malini

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CULTURE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 635

ANSWERED ON 24.07.2023

## ESTABLISHMENT OF REGIONAL CULTURAL CENTRES FOR PROMOTION OF FOLK ART AND CULTURE

- † 635. SHRIMATI HEMA MALINI:

Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  several  schemes  are  being  run  by  the  Government  for  the  safety, promotion  and  conservation  of  various  forms  of  folk,  art  and  culture  in  the country;
- (b)  whether many Regional Cultural Centres have been established in the country in the said context; and
- (c)  whether the established Regional Cultural Centres have been effectively successful in providing safety,  promotion and conservation  of the local folk, art and culture?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF CULTURE, TOURISM AND DEVELOPMENT OF NORTH EASTERN REGION

(SHRI G. KISHAN REDDY)

- (a) Yes  Sir.  The  Ministry  of  Culture  administers  various  schemes  for  safety, promotion and conservation of various forms of folk, art and culture in the country. The brief details of these schemes is at Annexure-I .
- (b) & (c) Yes Sir. 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. These ZCCs organize various cultural activities and programmes in their member States throughout the year on regular basis for which annual  grant-in-aid  is  provided  to  them.  These  ZCCs  also  administer  various schemes brief details of which are at Annexure-II .

Further, for preservation and development of art, culture and crafts across the country,  Ministry  of  Culture  also  organizes  Rashtriya  Sanskriti  Mahotsavs  (RSMs) through these ZCCs where a large number of artists from all over India are engaged to showcase their talents. From November, 2015 onwards, fourteen (14) RSMs have been  organized  by  Ministry  of  Culture  across  the  country.  ZCCs  also  organize  a minimum of 42 Regional Festivals for promotion of art and culture every year as per their  programme  calendar.  For  proper  storage  of  the  treasure  of  knowledge  for posterity,  several  art  forms  including  the  vanishing  ones  are  being  documented  by these ZCCs.

In order to promote, conserve and disseminate various forms of local folk, art and culture, ZCCs regularly organize/ participate in various programmes/ activities. List of such programmes/ activities is at Annexure-III .

*****

## Annexure referred to in reply to Part (a) of Lok Sabha Unstarred  Question No. 635 for 24.07.2023

## BRIEF OF SCHEMES

## 1. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR PROMOTION OF GURU-SHISHYA PARAMPARA (REPERTORY GRANT):

The objective  of  this  scheme  is to  provide  financial  support for  all  genres  of performing  arts  activities  like  dramatic  groups,  theatre  groups,  music  ensembles, children  theatre  etc.  and  imparting  training  of  artists  by  their  respective  Guru  on regular  basis in  line  with  Guru-Shishya  Parampara.  As  per the scheme, support is provided to 1 Guru and maximum 18 Shishyas in the field of theatre and 1 Guru and maximum 10 Shishyas in the field of music & dance.

Amount  of  Assistance  -  Guru  Rs.15000/-  p.m.,  Shishya  -  Rs.2000-10000/-p.m (depending upon the age of artist).

## 2. SCHEME OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR PROMOTION OF ART AND CULTURE: The scheme consists of following scheme components:

## i. Financial Assistance to Cultural organizations with National Presence:

The objective of the scheme component is to provide financial assistance  to reputed  cultural  organizations  with  national  presence  ('not-for-profit'  organizations, NGOs, Societies, Trusts, Universities, etc.) with a view to disseminate and propagate art & culture by organizing various cultural activities at National/International level for promotion of art and culture of the country. This grant is given to such organizations which  has  a  properly  constituted  managing  body,  registered  in  India  having  an  All India  Character  with  National  Presence  in  its  operation,  adequate  working  strength and have spent Rs. 1crore or more during 3 of the last 5 years on cultural activities. The  Quantum  of  assistance  under  this  scheme  is  up  to  Rs.  1  Cr  which  can  be increased to 5 crore in exceptional cases.

## ii. Cultural Function & Production Grant (CFPG):

The  objective  of  this  scheme  component  is  to  provide  financial  support  to NGOs/  Societies/  Trusts/  Universities  etc.  for  Seminars,  Conference,  Research, Workshops, Festivals, Exhibitions, Symposia, Production of Dance, Drama-Theatre, Music etc.  The maximum grants provided under CFPG is Rs.5 Lakh (Rs. 20 Lakh under exceptional circumstances)

## iii. Financial  Assistance  for  the  Preservation  &  Development  of  Cultural Heritage of the Himalayas:

The  objective  of  this  scheme  component  is  to  promote  and  preserve  the cultural  heritage  of  the  Himalayas  through  research,  training  and  dissemination through audio visual programmes. The financial support is provided to the organizations in the States falling under the Himalayan Region i.e. Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal  Pradesh,  Uttarakhand,  Sikkim  and  Arunachal  Pradesh.    The  quantum  of funding is Rs. 10.00 lakhs per year for an organization which can be increased to Rs. 30.00 lakhs in exceptional cases.

## iv. Financial Assistance for the Preservation & Development of Buddhist/Tibetan Organization:

Under this scheme component financial assistance is provided to the voluntary Buddhist/Tibetan  organizations  including  Monasteries  engaged  in  the  propagation and scientific development of Buddhist/Tibetan Cultural and tradition and research in related fields. The quantum of funding under scheme component is Rs. 30.00 lakhs per  year  for  an  organization  which  can  be  increased  to  1.00  crore  in  exceptional cases.

## v. Financial Assistance for Building Grants including Studio Theatres:

The  objective  of  this  scheme  component  is  to  provide  financial  support  to NGO, Trust, Societies, Govt. Sponsored bodies, University, College etc.  for creation of  Cultural  infrastructure  (i.e.  studio  theatre,  auditorium,  rehearsal  hall,  classroom etc.)  and  provision  of  facilities  like  electrical,  air  conditioning,  acoustics,  light  and sound systems etc. Under this scheme component, the maximum amount of grant is up to Rs.50 Lakh in metro cities and up to Rs.25 Lakh in non- metro cities.

## vi. Financial Assistance for Allied Cultural Activities:

The objective of this scheme component is to provide financial assistance to all eligible organizations for creation of assets for enhancing the audio-visual spectacle for allied cultural activities to give firsthand experience of live performances on regular basis and during festivals in open/closed areas/spaces. Maximum assistance under the  scheme  component,  including  applicable  duties  &  taxes  and  also  Operation  & Maintenance (O&M) costing for five years, will be as under:- (i) Audio: Rs.1.00 crore; (ii) Audio+Video: Rs. 1.50 crore.

## vii. Domestic Festivals and Fairs:

The objective of this scheme is to provide assistance for holding the 'Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsavs' organized by Ministry of Culture.

## 3. SCHEME  OF  SCHOLARSHIP  AND  FELLOWSHIP  FOR  PROMOTION  OF ART AND CULTURE: The scheme consists of three components. The names and details of the scheme components are as given below:

## i. Scheme for the Award of Fellowship to Outstanding Persons in the field of Culture:

Upto 400 fellowships (200 Junior and 200 Senior) are awarded in a batch year to outstanding persons in the age group of 25 to 40 years (Jr.) and above 40 years (Sr.) in different cultural fields @ of Rs. 10,000/- p.m. and 20,000/-p.m. for the period of 2 years for cultural research. The Fellowship is released in four equal six monthly installments.

## ii. Scheme for Scholarships to Young Artistes in Different Cultural Fields:

Upto  400  Scholarships  are  awarded  in  a  batch  year.  Under  this  scheme financial assistance is given to young artistes of outstanding promise in the age group of 18-25 years for advanced training within India in the field of Indian Classical Music, Indian Classical Dance, Theatre,  Mime, Visual art, Folk, Traditional and Indigenous Arts and Light Classical Music etc. @ Rs. 5,000/- p.m. for 2 years. The Scholarship is released in four equal six monthly installments.

## iii. Tagore National Fellowship for Cultural Research:

The  purpose  of  the  Scheme  Component  is  to  invigorate  and  revitalize  the various  institutions  under  the  Ministry  of  Culture  (MoC)  and  other  identified  cultural institutions in the country, by encouraging scholars/ academicians to affiliate themselves  with  these  institutions  to  work  on  projects  of  mutual  interest.  Upto  15 Fellowships  (Rs.80,000/-  p.m.  +  Contingency  Allowance)  and  25  Scholarships (Rs.50,000/- p.m. + Contingency Allowance) for a maximum period of 2 Years. The Fellowship is released in four equal six monthly installments.

## 4. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR CONSTRUCTION OF TAGORE CULTURAL COMPLEXES (TCC):

The  objective  of  this  scheme  is  to  provide  financial  support  to  NGO,  Trust, Societies, Govt. Sponsored bodies, State / UT Govt. University, Central/State Govt. agencies/bodies, Municipal Corporations, reputed not-for-profit organizations etc. for creation  of  new  Large  Cultural  Spaces  such  as  Auditorium  with  facilities  and infrastructure for stage performances (dance, drama  and music), exhibitions, seminars, literary activities, green rooms, etc.  The Scheme also provides support for restoration, renovation, extension, alteration, up-gradation, modernization of existing cultural facilities (Rabindra Bhawans, Rangshalas, Multipurpose Cultural Complexes) etc. Under this scheme, grant of up to Rs. 15 Crore is provided.

## 5. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR VETERAN ARTISTS:

The objectives of this Scheme is to provide financial assistance @ Rs.6.000/p.m. to veteran artists aged 60 years and above having annual income not more than Rs.48,000/- per  annum) who have contributed significantly in their specialized fields of arts, letters etc. but  are now living in penury condition.

## 6. SEVA BHOJ YOJANA:

Under  the  Scheme  of  'Seva  Bhoj  Yojana'  Central  Goods  and  Services  Tax (CGST)  and  Central  Government's  share  of  Integrated  Goods  and  Services  Tax (IGST) paid on purchase of specific raw food items by Charitable/Religious Institutions  for  distributing  free  food  to  public  shall  be  reimbursed  as  Financial Assistance by the Government of India. Free 'prasad' or free food or free 'langar' / 'bhandara' (community kitchen) offered by charitable/religious institutions like Gurudwara, Temples, Dharmik Ashram, Mosques, Dargah, Church, Math, Monasteries etc. are covered under Seva Bhoj Yojana.

## Annexure referred to in reply to Parts (b) & (c) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 635 for 24.07.2023

## Schemes being implemented by Zonal Cultural Centres (ZCCs)

- i. Award to Young Talented Artistes: The Scheme 'Young Talented Artists' is carried  out  to  encourage  and recognize  the  young  talents  especially  in  the  field  of rare art forms. Talented youngsters of the age group of 18-30 years are selected and given a onetime  cash award of Rs. 10,000/-.
- ii. Guru Shishya Parampara: This  scheme  envisages  transmitting  our  valued traditions to the coming generations. Disciples are trained under veterans in art forms which  are  rare  and  vanishing.  Rare  and  vanishing  art  forms  of  the  region  are identified and eminent exponents are selected to carry out the training programmes in 'Gurukula' tradition. The monthly remuneration for Guru -Rs. 7,500/-, Accompanist - Rs. 3,750/- and Pupils - Rs. 1,500/- each for the period of six month to maximum 1 year for one scheme. The names of the Gurus are recommended by the State Cultural Affairs Departments.
- iii. Theatre Rejuvenation: To  promote theatre activities including stage shows and Production oriented  workshops, etc.  Honorarium  Up  to  Rs.  30,000/-  per  show excluding TA & DA is paid. The groups finalized on the basis their credentials as well as the merit of project submitted by them.
- iv. Research & Documentation: To preserve promote and propagate vanishing visual and performing art forms including folk, tribal and classical in the field of music, dance, theatre, literature, fine arts etc. in print/ audio - visual media. The art form is finalized in consultation with state Cultural Department.
- v. Shilpgram: To promote folk and tribal art and crafts of the zone by organizing seminar,  workshops,  exhibitions,  craft  fairs,  design  development  and  marketing support to the artisans living in the rural areas.
- vi. Octave: To  promote  and  propagate  the  rich  cultural  heritage  of North  East region  comprising  of  eight  States  namely  Arunachal  Pradesh,  Assam,  Meghalaya, Mizoram, Sikkim, Nagaland, Manipur and Tripura to the rest of India.
- vii. National Cultural Exchange Programme: It can be termed as the lifeline of the Zonal Cultural Centers. Under this scheme, various festivals of performing arts, exhibitions, yatras etc are organized in member  States. Artists from other zones/states  are  invited  to  participate  in  these  programmes.  Participation  of  artists from the Zone in festivals held in other parts of the country are also facilitated. Zonal centres also participate in Major festivals happening in member States by arranging performances during these festivals where large number of audience get chance to enjoy and understand art forms of other regions. These festivals provide opportunity to taste and understand various cultures of our country.

## ANNEXURE-III

## Annexure referred to in reply to Parts (b) & (c) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 635 for 24.07.2023

## LIST OF PROGRAMMES/ ACTIVITIES

|   Sl. No. | Name of the Programme/ Activity                   |
|-----------|---------------------------------------------------|
|         1 | Yatras                                            |
|         2 | Folk songs and dance festivals                    |
|         3 | Craft fairs                                       |
|         4 | Exhibitions                                       |
|         5 | Workshops                                         |
|         6 | Seminars                                          |
|         7 | Poets Meet                                        |
|         8 | Octave-Festival of North East                     |
|         9 | Participation in Republic Day Parade Celebrations |
|        10 | Ganga Sanskriti Yatra                             |
|        11 | Participation in Kumbh Mela                       |
|        12 | Maati Ke Rang                                     |
|        13 | Dweep Mahotsav                                    |
|        14 | Jashn-E-Kashmir                                   |
|        15 | Kurukshetra Utsav - Geeta Jayanti Samaroh         |
|        16 | National Theatre Festival                         |
|        17 | Festival of India abroad                          |
|        18 | Lok Rang Festival                                 |
|        19 | Orange City Craft Mela                            |
|        20 | Chalo Man Ganga Yamuna Teer                       |
|        21 | Lawani Mahotsav                                   |
|        22 | Minjar Mela                                       |
|        23 | Kullu Dussehra Festival etc.                      |
|        24 | J&K Festival                                      |
|        25 | Surajkund Crafts Mela                             |
|        26 | Hornbill Festival                                 |
|        27 | Shilpgram Utsav                                   |
|        28 | Lokotsav                                          |
|        29 | Sangai Festival                                   |
|        30 | Sindhu Darshan Festival                           |