Lok Sabha Question No. 435 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-02
Subject: MGMD Scheme
Ministry: CULTURE
Asked by: Shri Tharaniventhan M S, Shri Dileshwar Kamait, Shri Amar Sharadrao Kale, Shri Bhumare Sandipanrao Asaram, Shri Gyaneshwar Patil

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CULTURE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 435

TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.02.2026

## MGMD SCHEME

## 435. SHRI THARANIVENTHAN M S: SHRI DILESHWAR KAMAIT: SHRI AMAR SHARADRAO KALE: SHRI BHUMARE SANDIPANRAO ASARAM: SHRI GYANESHWAR PATIL:

Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state:-

- (a) the  details  of  the  number  of  villages  identified  and  documented  under  the Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar (MGMD) scheme so far in the country, State/UTwise,  particularly  in  Tamil  Nadu,  Madhya  Pradesh,  Maharashtra  including Chhatrapati Sambhaji nagar district;
- (b) the  details  and  number  of  villages  for  which  data  has  been  uploaded  on MGMD web portal in the country, State/UT-wise especially in the said States and district so far;
- (c) whether  the  scheme  takes  into  account  the  unique  linguistic,  cultural  and heritage  practices  of  Tamil  Nadu,  including  temple  architecture,  folk  arts, Siddha medicine and classical traditions;
- (d) whether  any  proposals  have  been  received  from  the  State  Government  of Tamil Nadu or local bodies for inclusion under MGMD and the status of those proposals;
- (e) the  measures  taken  to  ensure  that  local  communities  are  involved  in  the documentation and preservation process to strengthen rural identity and whether they receive any economic or skill development benefits from this initiative in the country, especially in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Madhya Pardesh;
- (f) whether  the  Government  plans  to  promote  these  heritage  villages  through tourism, digital platforms and educational initiatives and if so, the number of villages in Tamil Nadu are being included in such plans; and
- (g) the  details  of  the  nature  of  cultural  elements  and  heritage  components  being documented under the said initiatives, State/UT-wise including Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh?

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

- (a) &  (b)  Under  the  Mera  Gaon  Meri  Dharohar  (MGMD)  Programme,  6.38  lakh villages  have  been  identified  for  cultural  mapping  across  the  country.  Out  of these, data relating to  6.23 lakh villages has been documented and uploaded on the MGMD  portal (https://mgmd.gov.in), covering all States and Union Territories. The State/UT-wise details of villages covered are placed at Annexure-I.  Further,  1,132  villages  in  Chhatrapati  Sambhaji  Nagar  district (formerly Aurangabad), Maharashtra, have been mapped.
- (c) The  MGMD  Programme  documents  a  wide  range  of  village-level  cultural attributes, including linguistic, cultural and heritage practices. This encompasses, inter alia, traditional architecture, folk art forms  and other cultural traditions of villages across India, including those in Tamil Nadu.
- (d) No, Sir.
- (e) Community participation in documentation is facilitated through a crowdsourcing mechanism.  The  'Contribute'  feature  on  the  MGMD  portal  enables  local residents  to  submit  and  validate  cultural  information  relating  to  their  villages, thereby  encouraging  community  engagement  across  States,  including  Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. MGMD has been envisaged as a digital documentation initiative, and no specific provisions relating to economic benefits or skill development have been incorporated in this programme
- (f) The MGMD portal functions as a digital repository of village-level cultural data. However,  no  specific  initiatives  for  promotion  of  heritage  villages  through tourism  or  educational  programmes  have  been  undertaken  under  the  MGMD Programme so far.
- (g) The MGMD Programme documents a broad spectrum of tangible and intangible cultural elements, including oral traditions, beliefs, customs, historical associations, art forms, local languages, heritage sites, traditional food practices, prominent  artists,  fairs  and  festivals,  traditional  attire,  ornaments  and  local landmarks. This documentation framework is uniformly applied across all States and Union Territories, including Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh

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## Annexure referred to in reply to part (a) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 435 asked on 02 nd February, 2026 regarding 'MGMD Scheme'

| State/UT                                     |   Number of Uploaded Villages |
|----------------------------------------------|-------------------------------|
| Andaman and Nicobar Islands                  |                           176 |
| Andhra Pradesh                               |                         17142 |
| Arunachal Pradesh                            |                          4613 |
| Assam                                        |                         26074 |
| Bihar                                        |                         39563 |
| Chandigarh                                   |                            12 |
| Chhattisgarh                                 |                         19571 |
| Delhi                                        |                           252 |
| Goa                                          |                           431 |
| Gujarat                                      |                         19271 |
| Haryana                                      |                          7579 |
| Himachal Pradesh                             |                         18735 |
| Jammu &Kashmir                               |                          6926 |
| Jharkhand                                    |                         29908 |
| Karnataka                                    |                         29569 |
| Kerala                                       |                          1275 |
| Ladakh                                       |                           238 |
| Lakshadweep Islands                          |                            13 |
| Madhya Pradesh                               |                         56429 |
| Maharashtra                                  |                         40042 |
| Manipur                                      |                           306 |
| Meghalaya                                    |                          7012 |
| Mizoram                                      |                          1026 |
| Nagaland                                     |                          1498 |
| Odisha                                       |                         47209 |
| Puducherry                                   |                           127 |
| Punjab                                       |                         12084 |
| Rajasthan                                    |                         46696 |
| Sikkim                                       |                           464 |
| Tamil Nadu                                   |                         19219 |
| Telangana                                    |                          9824 |
| The Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu |                           107 |
| Tripura                                      |                           899 |
| Uttar Pradesh                                |                        103003 |
| Uttarakhand                                  |                         15727 |
| West Bengal                                  |                         40429 |