Lok Sabha Question No. 1377 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-08
Subject: Promotion of Cultural Diversity
Ministry: CULTURE
Asked by: Smt. Pratima Mondal

## PROMOTION OF CULTURAL DIVERSITY

## 1377. SMT. PRATIMA MONDAL:

Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state:

(a) the  details  of  the  initiatives  undertaken/being  undertaken  to  promote  India's cultural diplomacy and soft power projection through institutions such as the Indian Council  for  Cultural  Relations  (ICCR),  especially  in  fostering  people-to-people exchanges and showcasing regional cultural diversity abroad;

(b) the progress made in digitizing archives, manuscripts and museum collections under the National Mission on Cultural Mapping and the National Virtual Library of India and the manner in which this data is being made accessible to scholars and the public; and

(c) the  details  of  the  steps  being  taken  to  modernize  museum  infrastructure  and introduce experiential technologies such as augmented and virtual reality to enhance visitor engagement and educational outreach?

## ANSWER

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

(a) India's  cultural  diplomacy  and  soft  power  projection  are  promoted  through various initiatives of the Ministry of Culture and its organizations. Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), an autonomous body under Ministry of External Affairs, promotes Indian culture worldwide through Indian Missions/Posts and its 38 Indian Cultural Centres (ICCs) abroad by organizing programmes in Yoga, Indian classical and folk dance and music, Indian languages, visual arts exhibitions, film screenings, lectures,  seminars  and  celebration  of  Indian  festivals  and  the  International  Day  of Yoga.  Cultural  troupes  reflecting  India's  regional  diversity  are  regularly  deputed abroad,  and  folk  arts  are  promoted  through  MoUs  signed  with  States  and  Union Territories.

Under the Ministry of Culture's Global Engagement Scheme, 'Festivals of India' are organized  abroad,  providing  opportunities  to  artists  from  diverse  cultural  fields  to perform  internationally.  Grant-in-aid  is  also  released  to  Indo-Foreign  Friendship Cultural Societies to foster people-to-people exchanges.

Ministry  of  Culture  also  sign  Cultural  Exchange  Programmes(CEPs)  with  other countries for disseminating Indian art and culture abroad. Museums also collaborate with foreign embassies and cultural institutions as part of India's cultural outreach.

(b) The  National  Mission  on  Cultural  Mapping  (NMCM)  does  not  have  the mandate for digitization of archives, manuscripts or museum collections; its mandate is  confined  to  cultural  mapping  and  documentation  through'  Mera  Gaon  Meri Dharohar' portal.

The  National  Virtual  Library  of  India  (NVLI),  while  not  directly  undertaking digitization, provides integrated digital access to India's cultural resources through the Indian Culture Portal, a unified and user-friendly platform that aggregates manuscripts,  rare  books,  museum  collections,  archival  records  and  audio-visual content  for  the  benefit  of  scholars,  researchers  and  the  general  public.  However, 'Gyan Bharatam Mission', a flagship initiative of the Ministry of Culture, covers the large-scale  digitization  of  India's  manuscript  heritage  to  facilitate  preservation  and wider access.

Museums  under  the  Ministry  of  Culture  have  also  made  substantial  progress  in digitizing  their  collections  under  initiatives  such  as  JATAN,  and  the  digitized collections are accessible through online repositories and virtual exhibitions.

(c) The  Ministry  of  Culture  has  undertaken  sustained  efforts  to  modernize museum  infrastructure  and  enhance  visitor  engagement  through  the  adoption  of advanced  and  experiential  technologies.  Under  the  Museum  Grant  Scheme,  the Ministry provides financial assistance for setting up new museums, development and upgradation of existing museums, digitization of museum collections, establishment of  virtual  museums,  and  capacity-building  and  training  of museum  professionals  of museums  managed  by  Central  and  State  Governments,  Societies,  Autonomous Bodies, Local Bodies, Academic Institutions and Trusts registered under the Societies Registration Act.

The National Council of Science Museums (NCSM) is at the forefront of research and development in museum display technologies and continues to innovate to improve visitor experience by integrating cutting-edge technologies such as augmented reality (AR),  virtual  reality  (VR),  artificial  intelligence  (AI),  computer  vision  and  sensorbased interactive systems.

The  Victoria  Memorial  Hall  has  established  a  multimedia  gallery  titled 'Biplobi Bharat' ,  which  uses  modern  interpretative  tools  to  showcase  the  life,  struggle  and invaluable contributions of Indian revolutionaries to the freedom movement.

The  National  Museum,  New  Delhi  has  commissioned  the  Virtual  Experiential Museum on Ajanta (VEMA) to provide visitors with an immersive and educational digital  experience  of  the  Ajanta  Caves.  The  National  Museum  has  also  digitized  a substantial  number  of  its  collections  to  ensure  wider  public  access  and  enhanced outreach.

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