Lok Sabha Question No. 214 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-11-25
Subject: Zonal Cultural Centres
Ministry: CULTURE
Asked by: Shri K C Venugopal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CULTURE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 214

ANSWERED ON 25.11.2024

## ZONAL CULTURAL CENTRES

## 214.  SHRI K.C. VENUGOPAL:

Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  established  seven  Zonal  Cultural  Centers  (ZCC)  in  the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the aims and objectives of establishing these centers and the States where these centres have been/will be established;
- (c) the details of the amount sanctioned and released by the Union Government for setting up of these centres; and
- (d) the details of the additional steps taken by the Government to promote art and culture in the country?

## ANSWER

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

(a) & (b) Yes Sir.  The  Government  of  India has  set  up  seven  Zonal  Cultural  Centres (ZCCs) in the country with headquarters at Patiala (Punjab), Nagpur (Maharashtra), Udaipur (Rajasthan),  Prayagraj  (Uttar  Pradesh),  Kolkata  (West  Bengal),  Dimapur  (Nagaland)  and Thanjavur (Tamil Nadu) to protect, promote and preserve various forms of folk art & culture throughout  the  country  and  also  to  set  up  mechanism  for  development  of  the  cultures  of various  regions.  The  mandate  behind  setting  up  of  these  ZCCs  was  to  bind  the  nation culturally while retaining the individuality of the regions that comprise them. The aims and objectives of establishing these ZCCs are:

-  to  preserve  and  promote  the  projection  and  dissemination  of  arts  in  the  concerned zone;
-  to develop and promote their rich cultural diversity;
-  to encourage folk & tribal arts and preservation of vanishing arts;
-  to involve youth in creative cultural communication and lay special emphasis on the linkages between different areas and their contribution to Indian culture.

(c) A  Corpus  Fund  was  provided  to  each  ZCC  towards  cost  of  equipment  and infrastructure including buildings. Government of India provided Rs. 10.00 crore each to all the seven ZCCs in 7 th & 10 th Plan. During 2014-15, an additional amount of Rs. 10.00 crore each  was  provided  to  six  (6)  ZCCs  viz.  North  Zone  Cultural  Centre,  Patiala;  South  Zone Cultural  Centre,  Thanjavur;  South  Central  Zone  Cultural  Centre,  Nagpur;  West  Zone Cultural  Centre,  Udaipur;  North  Central  Zone  Cultural  Centre,  Prayagraj  &  Eastern  Zonal Cultural  Centre,  Kolkata  and  Rs.  20.00  crore  was  provided  to  North  East  Zone  Cultural Centre (NEZCC), Dimapur towards corpus enhancement, taking the total corpus to Rs. 30.00 crore for NEZCC, Dimapur and Rs. 20.00 crore each for the remaining six ZCCs. All the administrative expenses of these ZCCs are being met by the interest accrued on this Corpus

Fund.  Land  required  by  each  Centre  was  provided  free  of  cost  by  the  State  Governments wherein the headquarters of ZCCs are located.

(d) For  the  promotion  of  art  &  culture  in  the  country,  these  ZCCs  organize  various cultural  activities  and  programmes  on  regular  basis  throughout  the  year  for  which  annual grant-in-aid  is  provided  to  them.  Besides,  Ministry  of  Culture  also  organizes  Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsavs (RSMs) through these ZCCs where a large number of artists from all over  India  are  engaged  who  showcase  their  talents  during  these  programmes.  From November, 2015 onwards, fourteen (14) RSMs and four (04) Zonal Level RSMs have been organized by Ministry of Culture across the country. In addition, a minimum number of 42 Regional Festivals are organized by these ZCCs every year for promotion of art and culture.

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