Lok Sabha Question No. 216 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-07-22
Subject: Cultural Heritage
Ministry: CULTURE
Asked by: Shri Dilip Saikia

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CULTURE LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. †216 TO BE ANSWERED ON 22 nd  JULY, 2024

## CULTURAL HERITAGE

## †216.    SHRI DILIP SAIKIA:

Will the MINISTER OF CULTURE be pleased to state:

- (a) details of the schemes being implemented by the Ministry of Culture in various States of the country including Assam;
- (b) whether  any  steps  have  been  taken  by  the  Government  to  connect  the  people  with  the cultures of the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the steps taken by the Government to preserve the cultural heritage of the country; and
- (d) whether the Government is planning to provide scholarship to the young artists and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF CULTURE AND TOURISM (SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)

- (a)    Ministry  of  Culture  administers  various  Financial  Grant  Schemes  to  protect,  promote  and preserve different forms of Art & Culture across the country including the State of Assam. Brief details of these Schemes are at Annexure- I.
- (b)&(c)  To  protect,  preserve  &  promote  various  forms  of  folk  art  and  for  spreading  the awareness and connect of people towards cultural heritage of India, the Government of India 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 on regular basis throughout the country. Annual grant-in-aid is provided to all the seven ZCCs by Govt. of India for carrying out these activities. The details of grant-inaid provided during the last five years to these ZCCs is given as under:-

## (Rs. in lakhs)

| Sl. No.   | Name of ZCC      |   2019-20 |   2020-21 |   2021-22 |   2022-23 |   2023-24 |
|-----------|------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| 1.        | NZCC, Patiala    |    728.77 |    606.26 |    530.76 |    276.51 |    937.14 |
| 2.        | NCZCC, Prayagraj |    864.39 |    448.04 |    984.7  |    301.51 |   3286.25 |
| 3.        | WZCC, Udaipur    |    923.32 |    706.6  |    653.92 |    596.93 |    529.68 |
| 4.        | SCZCC, Nagpur    |    914.95 |    827.8  |    778.52 |    849.97 |   1027.16 |
| 5.        | EZCC, Kolkata    |    870.32 |    948.05 |   1058.95 |    724.96 |    897.14 |
| 6.        | SZCC, Thanjavur  |    639.26 |    247.29 |    724.89 |    623.39 |    887.95 |
| 7.        | NEZCC, Dimapur   |    791.94 |    225.34 |   1149.74 |    840.18 |    827.14 |
|           | Total            |   5732.95 |   4009.38 |   5881.46 |   4213.45 |   8392.46 |

Further, to showcase and increase awareness among people regarding cultural heritage and values  of  the  country,  Ministry  of  Culture,  Government  of  India  has  organized  fourteen Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav (RSMs) with details at Annexure-II.

- (d)  Ministry  of  Culture  is  implementing  the  scheme  component  of  'Scholarships  to  Young Artists in Different Cultural Fields (SYA)' to grant Scholarship to Young Artists in different cultural  fields  including  traditional  arts  forms  for  undergoing  advanced  training  in  their respective fields.  Under the above said scheme component, a Scholarship of Rs. 5,000/- per month is provided to selected Scholars for a period of 02 years in four equal six monthly installments. The selected scholars should be in the age group of 18 years to 25 years and should  have  been  undergoing  training  under  any  Guru  or  Institution  for  a  minimum  of  5 years.  The  Scholars  are  selected  on  the  basis  of  their  performance  in  personal  interview  / interaction before an Expert Committee for Scholarship constituted by the Ministry. Details of selections made/funds released under the Scholarship scheme component during the last 5 years is given as under:-

(Rs. in lakhs)

|   Sl. No. | Batch Year   |   No. of Selected Scholars |   Funds released on the basis of receipt of six monthly progress report |
|-----------|--------------|----------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|         1 | 2017-18      |                        317 |                                                                   159   |
|         2 | 2018-19      |                        384 |                                                                   345.3 |
|         3 | 2019-20      |                        400 |                                                                   325.8 |
|         4 | 2020-21      |                        400 |                                                                   379.5 |
|         5 | 2021-22      |                        400 |                                                                   390.3 |

Annexure referred to in Reply to Part (a) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. †216  due for answer on 22-07-2024

## 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. The Amount of Assistance for Guru is Rs.15000/- p.m. and for the Shishya, the same is Rs.200010000/-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

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 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 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.

## viii. Intangible Cultural Heritage Scheme

The objective of the Scheme is to support and strengthen the efforts of various stakeholders involved  in  the  preservation  and  promotion  of  the  rich,  diverse  and  vast intangible cultural heritage of India including recognition of the same by UNESCO.

## 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 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.

## 5.       FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR VETERAN ARTISTS

The objective of this Scheme is to provide financial assistance of 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.

## 6.         SEVA BHOJ YOJANA

Under the Scheme of 'Seva Bhoj Yojna' 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 Part (b)&(c) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. †216 due for answer on 22-07-2024

## Details of Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsavs (RSMs) organized by Ministry of Culture

|   Sl. No. | Venue                                                            | Month &Year           |
|-----------|------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------|
|         1 | Delhi                                                            | November, 2015        |
|         2 | Delhi                                                            | October, 2016         |
|         3 | Uttar Pradesh (BHU, Varanasi)                                    | November, 2016        |
|         4 | Karnataka (Bengaluru)                                            | March, 2017           |
|         5 | Arunachal Pradesh (Tawang)                                       | March, 2017           |
|         6 | Gujarat (Ahmedabad)                                              | October, 2017         |
|         7 | Karnataka (Hubli, Bengaluru and Mangalore)                       | January, 2018         |
|         8 | Madhya Pradesh (Gwalior, Bhopal and Indore)                      | February, 2018        |
|         9 | Uttarakhand (Tehri)                                              | May, 2018             |
|        10 | Madhya Pradesh (Jabalpur, Sagar and Rewa)                        | October, 2019         |
|        11 | West Bengal (Cooch Behar, Darjeeling and Murshidabad)            | February, 2021        |
|        12 | Andhra Pradesh (Rajahmundry) and Telangana (Warangal& Hyderabad) | March &April, 2022    |
|        13 | Maharashtra (Mumbai)                                             | February, 2023        |
|        14 | Rajasthan (Bikaner)                                              | February &March, 2023 |