Lok Sabha Question No. 394 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-02
Subject: Digital Cultural Governance and Monitoring of Cultural Initiatives
Ministry: CULTURE
Asked by: Dr. Hemant Vishnu Savara, Smt. Kamaljeet Sehrawat, Shri Manoj Tiwari, Shri Tejasvi Surya

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CULTURE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 394 TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.02.2026

## Digital Cultural Governance and Monitoring of Cultural Initiatives

394:    SHRI TEJASVI SURYA: SHRI MANOJ TIWARI: SMT. KAMALJEET SEHRAWAT: DR. HEMANT VISHNU SAVARA:

Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state:

(a) the details of the digital platforms developed and operationalised for recording and monitoring manuscript digitisation, heritage conservation and public cultural engagement across its schemes, museums,  archives,  libraries  and  institutions  in  the  country  especially  in  National  Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi;

(b)  the  details  of  the  steps  taken  so  far  to  integrate  data  from  museums,  archives,  manuscript resource centres and cultural outreach initiatives into these digital platforms across the country, including the nature of coordination with the Government of NCT of Delhi;

(c) the manner in which digital monitoring tools and data analytics are being utilised to ensure effective  policy  oversight,  transparency  and  performance  evaluation  of  cultural  schemes  and projects in the country especially in NCT of Delhi;

(d) whether the Government proposes to further strengthen digital cultural governance in Delhi through the establishment of a centralised digital dashboard for real-time monitoring and policy decision-making in the country especially in NCT of Delhi and if so, the details thereof;

(e) the details of the heritage conservation and public cultural engagement by the Government in Maharashtra; and

(f) the details of the Government's plan for tribal heritage and cultural conservation in the tribal dominated districts in the country like Palghar district in Maharashtra?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (c): Ministry of Culture and various organizations as enumerated below have developed and operationalised following digital platforms for recording and monitoring manuscript digitisation, heritage  conservation  and  public  cultural  engagement  across  its  schemes,  museums,  archives, libraries  and  institutions  throughout  the  country  including  National  Capital  Territory  (NCT)  of Delhi:

-  The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has digitized artefacts in its site museums as per the National Mission on Monuments and Antiquities (NMMA) standards, available at https://nmma.nic.in/nmma/indexAction.do.
-  The Gyan Bharatam Mission has launched the Gyan Bharatam Web Portal (https://gyanbharatam.com/)  for  digitizing  manuscripts,  with  MoUs  signed  with  over  40 institutions and state entities to support Indian Manuscript heritage preservation.
-  The Ministry of Culture has collaborated with C-DAC, Pune, using the "JATAN" software for digitizing museum collections.
-  The Abhilekh Patal, a digital repository by the National Archives of India (NAI), offers access to India's historical documents at https://www.abhilekh-patal.in/.
-  Digital platforms like the National Cultural Audiovisual Archive (NCAA) and Kalāsampadā repository enable centralized access to digitized manuscripts and ethnographic materials through the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA).
-  The National Virtual Library of India (NVLI) has created 'The Indian Culture Portal' that aggregates digital artefacts from various Ministry of Culture organizations.
-  Seven Zonal Cultural Centres (ZCCs) in Patiala, Prayagraj, Kolkata, Dimapur, Thanjavur, Nagpur, and Udaipur are engaged in research and documentation to promote visual and performing arts, including music and theatre.

(d):  Ministry  of  Culture  has  significantly  enhanced  digital  cultural  governance  through  the operationalization of the Cultural Schemes Dashboard (https://culturescheme.dashboard.nic.in/home/)  which  provides  a  centralized  interface  for  realtime monitoring and data-driven policy decision-making in the country including NCT of Delhi.

(e) & (f): There are 286 Centrally Protected Monuments and Sites in Maharashtra managed by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), with conservation carried out as needed according to the National Policy for Conservation. The South Central Zone Cultural Centre (SCZCC) and West Zone Cultural Centre (WZCC) regularly organize cultural programs, providing annual grants for initiatives  such  as  the  Orange  City  Craft  Mela  and  workshops  for  tribal  artists.  Additionally, IGNCA  focuses  on  documenting  and  archiving  Maharashtra's  diverse  heritage,  engaging  the public through exhibitions and academic collaborations, particularly in tribal areas like Palghar. MoUs under  the  Gyan  Bharatam  Mission  have  been  established  with  various  educational  and cultural  institutions  in  the  state  like  Kavi  Kulaguru  Kalidas  Sanskrit  University,  Nagpur, Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Pune and Department of Culture, Govt. of Maharashtra.

*******