Lok Sabha Question No. 257 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-02
Subject: Preservation and Promotion of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Western Odisha
Ministry: CULTURE
Asked by: Smt. Sangeeta Kumari Singh Deo

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CULTURE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 257 ANSWERED ON 02.02.2026

## PRESERVATION AND PROMOTION OF INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE OF WESTERN ODISHA

## 257. SMT. SANGEETA KUMARI SINGH DEO:

Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state: -

- a) whether  the  Government  has  identified  and  documented  intangible  cultural  heritage elements of Western Odisha, including folk dances, musical traditions, oral histories and rituals practiced in districts such as Balangir and Sonepur;
- b) the  details  of  financial  assistance  released  under  schemes,  such  as  the  Scheme  for Safeguarding the Intangible Cultural Heritage during FY 2023-24 and FY 2024-25;
- c) whether the Government proposes to include cultural forms of Western Odisha under UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage lists or national heritage inventories; and
- d) the  details  of  the  steps  taken/being  taken  to  support  practitioners,  folk  artists  and traditional  performers  through  institutional  grants,  training  and  livelihood-linked cultural promotion?

## ANSWER

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

(a) and (b) Yes Sir.

The  Ministry  of  Culture,  in  the  year  2013,  formulated  a  scheme  titled 'Scheme  for Safeguarding the  Intangible Heritage  and Diverse Cultural Traditions  of India'. Under this scheme  the  Intangible  Cultural  Heritage  (ICH) elements  from  various  States  including  the Western Odisha have been identified and documented. The ICH Scheme was operationally implemented  during  three  specific  cycle  years,  namely  2013-14,  2014-15,  and  2015-16. During this period, proposals were invited, examined, and supported in accordance with the objectives  and  guidelines  of  the  Scheme.  However,  subsequent  to  the  completion  of  the 2015-16 cycle, no further implementation cycles have been initiated. As a result, from the financial year 2016-2017 onwards,  no  new  proposals  have  been  invited,  received,  or considered under the ICH Scheme.

(c)  Proposal  to  include  intangible  cultural  forms  in  the  UNESCO's  Intangible  Cultural Heritage  Lists  and  national  heritage  inventories  is  a  continuous  process.  All  the  State Governments including Odisha are encouraged to submit their proposal to the Sangeet Natak Akademi(SNA),  being  nodal  agency  of  maintaining  of  National  Inventory  of  Intangible Cultural Heritage.

(d)  The  Government  has  taken  several  steps  to  support  practitioners,  folk  artists,  and traditional  performers.  These  include  implementation  of  various  scheme  and  programmes through the Ministry of Culture and its organizations, such as Zonal Cultural Centres (ZCCs), to promote, preserve and disseminate traditional art forms. Support is provided in the form of financial  assistance,  honorarium,  travel  allowance,  boarding  and  lodging,  and  performance opportunities  through  organization  of  cultural  festivals,  fairs,  workshops,  exhibitions  and cultural  exchanges  across  the  country.  These  initiatives  also  aim  to  providing  sustained livelihood opportunities to traditional artists while ensuring inter-generational transmission of cultural heritage.

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