Lok Sabha Question No. 2579 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-17
Subject: Preservation and Promotion of Cultural Heritage
Ministry: CULTURE
Asked by: Shri Kalipada Saren Kherwal, Shri Sanjay Uttamrao Deshmukh, Shri Jagannath Sarkar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF CULTURE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2579

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 17.03.2025

## PRESERVATION AND PROMOTION OF CULTURAL HERITAGE

## 2579.   Sh. Jagannath Sarkar:

## Sh. Sanjay Uttamrao Deshmukh:

## Sh. Kalipada Saren Kherwal:

Will the Minister of Culture be pleased to state:

- (a) the  details  of  current  initiatives  alongwith  schemes  undertaken  to  preserve  and promote  rich  cultural  and  heritage,  including  arts,  music,  and  literature  of  West Bengal and Maharashtra;
- (b) the  details  of  the  measures  being  implemented  by  the  Government  to  support  local artists, folk artists, cultural institutions, and traditional crafts programme and schemes of West Bengal and Maharashtra;
- (c) the  number  of  artists  benefited  from  the  programmes  and  schemes  till  date  in Maharashtra and West Bengal's especially in Jhargram, Purulia, Bankura and Paschim Medinipur Districts;
- (d) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  formulate  any  special  scheme  to  promote  the famous artists and folk dances like Chhau, Jhumur, Danta, Rinjha etc. of Purulia and Jhargram district of West Bengal and Maharashtra on the national and international platforms, if so, the details thereof;
- (e) the  progress  of  cultural  festivals  and  events  aimed  at  showcasing  West  Bengal's cultural diversity both nationally and internationally;
- (f) the support provided for integrating cultural education into the school curriculum to foster appreciation among the youth;
- (g) whether any financial assistance is being provided by the Government to promote the traditional fairs and festivals of Maharashtra; and
- (h) if so, names of fairs included under the scheme?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF CULTURE AND TOURISM

## (GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)

- (a) The Ministry of Culture administers various schemes throughout the country including West  Bengal  and  Maharashtra  to  preserve  and  promote  rich  cultural  and  heritage  of India.  The brief details of these schemes is at Annexure I .

Ministry of Culture recently declared 'Bengali' and 'Marathi' as classical languages.

In  addition to this,  Ministry through its following Autonomous  Bodies encourages the preservation and promotion of culture as follows :

- (a)   Sahitya Akademi (SA), an autonomous organization under Ministry of Culture, promote literature in the 24 languages recognized by it. Apart from literature of those  languages,  Akademi  also  promotes  large  and  diverse  tribal  and  oral traditions of the country. Some of these literary creations are adapted into other art  forms  as  well  and  Sahitya  Akademi  promotes  such  initiatives  through programme series like Loka and Avishkar.

Sahitya  Akademi  has  published  around  350  books  in  Marathi  and  around  450 books in Bengali in originals including anthologies and translations and many of these titles have been reprinted a number of times.

- (b) Lalit Kala Akademi (LKA) regularly organizes Art Camps /Workshops/Exhibitions/Art  Festival  etc.  inviting  artists  from  all  across  of  the country including West Bengal and Maharashtra.
- (c) Sangeet  Natak  Akademi  (SNA)  has  been  functioning  as  the  apex  body  in  the field  of  performing  arts  in  the  country,  preserving  and  promoting  the  vast intangible heritage of India's diverse culture expressed in forms of music, dance, drama and folk & tribal performing arts.
- (d) Centre  for  Cultural  Resources  and  Training  (CCRT)  has  been  dedicated  to linking education with culture since its inception in 1979. It has played a crucial role in integrating cultural heritage into pedagogy by organizing diverse training programs for in-service government and government-aided school teachers (from Primary to Senior Secondary levels), teacher educators (including  DIET Lecturers), and administrators.
- (b) The  Lalit  Kala  Akademi,  an  autonomous  organization  under  Ministry  of  Culture maintains regional centers in Kolkata and Chennai. These centers provide art studios for artists working in various disciplines, serving West Bengal and Maharashtra, respectively.

Ministry of Culture has set up seven Zonal Cultural Centres (ZCCs) with headquarters at Patiala,  Nagpur,  Udaipur,  Prayagraj,  Kolkata  (West  Bengal),  Dimapur  and  Thanjavur. Maharashtra  is  the  member  State  of  South  Central  Zone  Cultural  Centre  (SCZCC), Nagpur and West Zone Cultural Centre (WZCC), Udaipur while West Bengal is a of EZCC.    These  ZCCs  organize  various  cultural  activities  and  programmes  in  their member  States  to  promote  folk  and  tribal  Culture  specially  of  the  member  states throughout the year on regular basis.

- (c) The  number  of  artists  /  cultural  institutions  benefitted  from  various  schemes  and programmes of Ministry of Culture, during last three years, is at Annexure II .
- (d) The  Government  of  India,  through  the  Sangeet  Natak  Akademi  (SNA)  under  the Ministry  of  Culture,  is  actively  promoting  and  preserving  India's  performing  arts.  In 2018,  the  SNA  established  the  'Chhau  Kendra'  in  Chandankiyari, Jharkhand,  to specifically  support  Chhau  dance.  Additionally,  the  Akademi's  "Kala  Deeksha"  (Guru Shishya Parampara) scheme funds numerous training programs. This includes 14 Chhau dance  initiatives  across  Jharkhand,  Odisha,  and  West  Bengal,  with  two  dedicated programs for Purulia Chhau in West Bengal.

The "Kala Deeksha" scheme supports a variety of traditional art forms. In Maharashtra, it funds training in Shahiri Powada under Guru Dr. Devenanda Mali, Chitrakathi under Guru Shri Ganapath Sakharam Masge and Jaltarang under Guru Shri Milind Tulankar. In West Bengal, the scheme supports traditional music training in Shrikhol under Guru Shri Gopal  Barman    and  Lepcha  under  Guru  Shri  Suksing  Lepcha.  These  programs,  all operating  under  the  Guru  Shishya  Parampara,  demonstrate  the  SNA's  commitment  to preserving and propagating diverse performing arts across India.

- (e) Ministry is dedicated to showcasing West Bengal's rich cultural diversity both nationally and internationally by providing financial assistance for cultural organizations, participation in national festivals like the Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav, and international cultural exchanges facilitated through the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR). The UNESCO recognition of Durga Puja as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity underscores the global significance of West Bengal's traditions.

The  Sahitya  Akademi,  an  autonomous  body  under  Ministry  of  Culture  showcases Bengali literature and its translations through book fairs and exhibitions like Festival of Letters,  Yuva  Writers  Meet  which  provides  a  platform  for  young  artists  and  cultural practitioners.  Simultaneously,  the  Sangeet  Natak  Akademi  provides  national  platforms for West Bengal's performing artists, alongside those from other regions, ensuring their talent is recognized and celebrated across India

- (f) The  Centre  for  Cultural  Resources  and  Training  (CCRT),  an  autonomous  body  under Ministry of Culture actively engages youth and educators through hands-on training in traditional  arts,  providing  free  cultural  education  kits,  and  supporting  scholarship  and fellowship programs for in-depth study and documentation.

Further, the Sangeet Natak Akademi's "Kala Dharohar" initiative brings Indian performing arts directly to schools nationwide, featuring eminent artists and scholars to deepen  students'  understanding  and  appreciation  of  our  diverse  cultural  traditions, thereby fostering a culturally aware and engaged future generation.

- (g) & (h) Ministry does not release financial assistance state / UT wise. However, this Ministry administers a scheme namely 'Domestic Festivals and Fairs'. The objective of this  scheme  is  to  provide  assistance  for  holding  the  'Rashtriya  Sanskriti  Mahotsavs'

organized by Ministry of Culture. Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsavs (RSMs) are conducted through Zonal Cultural Centres (ZCCs) where a large number of artists from all over the country, including Maharashtra are engaged to showcase their talents. From November, 2015  onwards,  fourteen  (14)  RSMs  and  four  (04)  Zonal  Level  RSMs  have  been organized  by  Ministry  of  Culture  across  the  country.  Further.  Ministry  has  organized RSM at Mumbai, Maharashtra from 11th to 19th February, 2023 where folk artists of Maharashtra were also invited to perform during the program. In addition, a minimum number of 42 Regional Festivals are organized by these ZCCs every year for promotion of  art  and  culture.  During  last  three  years,  Rs.  38.67  Cr.  has  been  released  under  this scheme.

****

## Brief details of Schemes

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

The objective of this scheme component 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.  The Amount  of  Assistance  for  Guru  is  Rs.15000/-  p.m.  and  for Shishya, the same is Rs.2000-10000/-p.m. depending upon the age of artist.

## 2. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR PROMOTION OF ART AND CULTURE: This

scheme has following sub-components :

- i. Financial Assistance to Cultural organizations with National Presence

The  objective of this scheme  component  is  to  promote  and  support  cultural organisations with national presence involved in promotion of art and culture throughout the country. This grant is given to such organisations that have a properly constituted managing body, registered in India; having a pan-India character with national presence in its operation; adequate working strength; and have spent 1 crore or more during 3 of the last 5 years on cultural  activities.  The  quantum  of  grant  under  this  scheme  is  Rs.1.00  crore  which  can  be increased to Rs.5.00 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 quantum of grant under this scheme is Rs.5 Lakh for an organization which can be increased to Rs. 20.00 lakhs in exceptional cases.

## 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 grant is Rs.10.00 lakh per year for an organization which can be increased to Rs. 30.00 lakh 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.   FINANCIAL  ASSISTANCE  FOR  CONSTRUCTION  OF  TAGORE  CULTURAL COMPLEXES (TCC)

The  aim  of  the  scheme  component  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 component also provides support for restoration, renovation, extension,  alteration,  up-gradation,  modernization  of  existing  cultural  facilities  (Rabindra Bhawans, Rangshalas) etc.  Under this scheme component, the financial assistance for  any project  will  normally  be  up  to  a  maximum  of  Rs.  15.00  crore.  Central  financial  assistance would be 90% of the total approved project cost and remaining 10% of the total approved project  cost  will  be  borne  by  the  recipient  State  Govt./NGO  or  concerned  organization  for NER  Projects  and  except  NER,  there  is  60:40  ratio  for  central  assistant  and  state  share (matching share).

## 4.  SCHEME OF SCHOLARSHIP AND FELLOWSHIP FOR PROMOTION OF ART

AND CULTURE: The scheme consists of following three components:

## 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 instalments.

## 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 instalments.

## 5.       FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR VETERAN ARTISTS

The  objective  of  this  Scheme  is  to  provide  financial  assistance  maximum  upto  Rs.6.000/p.m. to the old artistes and scholars aged 60 years above having annual income not exceeding Rs.72,000/- who have contributed significantly in their specialized fields of arts, letters etc. In  the  event  of  death  of  the  beneficiary,  the  financial  assistance  is  transferred  to  his/her spouse.

## Annexure - II

## A.   Details  of  number  of  Cultural  Institutions  benefitted  from  the  Schemes during last three years in Maharashtra and West Bengal.

| Scheme Name                                                                    | State       | 2021-22   | 2022-23   |   2023-24 | 2024-25 (Till Date)   |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------------------|
| Cultural Function and Production Grant Scheme                                  | Maharashtra | 27        | 56        |        34 | 16                    |
| Building Grants including studio theatre                                       | Maharashtra | 2         | -         |         2 | 2                     |
| Building Grants including studio theatre                                       | West Bengal | 3         | 5         |         1 | 1                     |
| Financial Assistance to Cultural Organizations with National Presence          | Maharashtra | -         | -         |         1 | -                     |
| Financial Assistance to Cultural Organizations with National Presence          | West Bengal | 2         | -         |         2 | 2                     |
| Financial Assistance for the Preservation & Development of Buddhist/Tibetan    | Maharashtra | 3         | 11        |        14 | 3                     |
| Organization                                                                   | West Bengal | 12        | 72        |        92 | 19                    |
| Financial Assistance for Promotion of Guru-Shishya Parampara (Repertory grant) | Maharashtra | 33        | 41        |        97 | 30                    |
| Financial Assistance for Promotion of Guru-Shishya Parampara (Repertory grant) | West Bengal | 112       | 333       |       418 | 158                   |

## B. Details of number of Artists benefitted from the Schemes during last three years in Maharashtra and West Bengal.

| Scheme Name                                             | State       |   2021-22 |   2022-23 |   2023-24 |   2024-25 (Till Date) |
|---------------------------------------------------------|-------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------------------|
| Award of Senior/Junior Fellowship to Outstanding Person | Maharashtra |        75 |        84 |        85 |                    45 |
|                                                         | West Bengal |        81 |        87 |       100 |                    70 |
| Scholarships to Young Artistes in                       | Maharashtra |       132 |        40 |       127 |                    80 |
| Different Cultural Fields                               | West Bengal |       195 |        67 |       278 |                   217 |
| Artists pension Scheme                                  | Maharashtra |       448 |       740 |      1239 |                  1249 |
| Artists pension Scheme                                  | West Bengal |        32 |        27 |        35 |                    34 |