Lok Sabha Question No. 2098 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-08-03
Subject: Cultural Exchange with Foreign Countries
Ministry: CULTURE
Asked by: RAVNEET SINGH, ABHISHEK SINGH

**GOVERNMENT OF INDIA**

**MINISTRY OF CULTURE**

**LOK SABHA**

**UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2098**

**TO BE ANSWERD ON 3** **rd** **AUGUST 2015**

**CULTURAL EXCHANGE WITH FOREIGN COUNTRIES**

2098. **SHRI RAVNEET SINGH:**

**SHRI ABHISHEK SINGH:**

will the Minister of **CULTURE** be pleased to state:

(a)  whether the Government continues to have cultural exchange with all the foreign countries including SAARC countries and has signed an Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) with any country;

(b)  If so, the details of the countries with whom India has cultural exchange relationship along with the details of Programmes organized during the last three years

(c)  whether the Indian Cultural Centers have also been set up abroad;

(d)  If so, the details of the working of these centers along with the amount earmarked for the purpose; and

(e) whether the Government has chalked out any action plan for the propagation of Indian traditional recipes abroad and if so, the details thereof?

**A N S W E R**

MINISTER OF STATE FOR CULTURE AND TOURISM (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) AND MINISTER OF STATE CIVIL AVAITATION

(Dr. MAHESH SHARMA)

(a) 	No Madam. This Ministry has signed Cultural Agreements with 127 countries. List of these countries is given in the **Annexure.**

(b)  Information of part (b) of the question is voluminous, is being compiled and will be laid on the Table of the House.

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(c)  Yes Madam. Thirty six Indian Cultural Centres have been set up abroad.

(d)  These Centres are a principal instrument of India’s institutional cultural outreach abroad and projecting our soft power through a wide range of cultural, academic and intellectual activities, promoting, inter alia, knowledge, information and understanding of various aspects of Indian culture including Indian dance, music, yoga and languages. A total sum of Rs.77.34 crore has been earmarked for these Centres under the overall budgetary provision of ICCR for the financial year 2015-16.

(e)  The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, as part of its on-going promotional activities release print, electronic, online and outdoor media campaigns in the international markets, under the ‘Incredible India’ brand-line, to promote the varied tourism destinations and products of the country including its cuisine. In addition, a series of promotional activities are also undertaken through the India Tourism Offices overseas which include support for the Indian Food Festivals held overseas.

In order to promote Indian cuisine which is an integral component of the Indian Tourism Product, support is being extended to Indian Food Festivals by sponsoring the visits of Indian chefs for the Food Festivals. Such support has been extended for organising Food Festivals during 2015-16 in Tashkent, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo, Osaka and Ecuador (Bogota).

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**ANNEXURE**

**ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED**

**QUESTION NO. 2098 FOR 03.08.2015**

**LIST OF COUNTRIES WITH WHOM CULTURAL AGREEMENT/CULTURAL EXCHANGE PRO0GRAMME /MEMORANDUM OF UUNDERSTANDING HAVE BEEN SIGNED**

| **S. NO.**   | **NAME OF THE COUNTRY**   |   **S. NO.** | **NAME OF THE COUNTRY**   |
|--------------|---------------------------|--------------|---------------------------|
|              | Afghanistan               |           26 | Czech Republic            |
|              | Algeria                   |           27 | Djibouti                  |
|              | Angola                    |           28 | Ecuador                   |
|              | Argentina                 |           29 | Egypt                     |
|              | Armenia                   |           30 | Estonia                   |
|              | Australia                 |           31 | Ethiopia                  |
|              | Bahrain                   |           32 | Finland                   |
|              | Bangladesh                |           33 | France                    |
|              | Belarus                   |           34 | Germany                   |
|              | Belgium                   |           35 | Ghana                     |
|              | Belize                    |           36 | Greece                    |
|              | Benin                     |           37 | Guyana                    |
|              | Bolivia                   |           38 | Hungary                   |
|              | Bosnia & Herzegovina      |           39 | Iceland                   |
|              | Botswana                  |           40 | Indonesia                 |
|              | Brazil                    |           41 | Iran                      |
|              | Bulgaria                  |           42 | Iraq                      |
|              | Burkina  Faso             |           43 | Ireland                   |
|              | Cambodia                  |           44 | Israel                    |
|              | Chile                     |           45 | Italy                     |
|              | China                     |           46 | Jamaica                   |
|              | Colombia                  |           47 | Japan                     |
|              | Croatia                   |           48 | Jordan                    |
|              | Cuba                      |           49 | Kazakhstan                |
|              | Cyprus                    |           50 | Kenya                     |

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|   **S. NO.** | **NAME OF THE COUNTRY**   |   **S. NO.** | **NAME OF THE COUNTRY**   | **S. NO.**   | **NAME OF THE COUNTRY**   |
|--------------|---------------------------|--------------|---------------------------|--------------|---------------------------|
|           51 | Kuwait                    |           77 | Norway                    | 103          | Tajikistan                |
|           52 | Kyrgyzstan                |           78 | Oman                      | 104          | Tanzania                  |
|           53 | Laos                      |           79 | Pakistan                  | 105          | Thailand                  |
|           54 | Latvia                    |           80 | Panama                    | 106          | Trinidad & Tobago         |
|           55 | Lebanon                   |           81 | Peru                      | 107          | Tunisia                   |
|           56 | Lesotho                   |           82 | Philippines               | 108          | Turkey                    |
|           57 | Libya                     |           83 | Poland                    | 109          | Turkmenistan              |
|           58 | Lithuania                 |           84 | Portugal                  | 110          | Uganda                    |
|           59 | Luxembourg                |           85 | Qatar                     | 111          | Ukraine                   |
|           60 | Madagascar                |           86 | Romania                   | 112          | United Arab Emirates      |
|           61 | Malaysia                  |           87 | Russia                    | 113          | Uzbekistan                |
|           62 | Maldives                  |           88 | Rwanda                    | 114          | Venezuela                 |
|           63 | Malta                     |           89 | Senegal                   | 115          | Vietnam                   |
|           64 | Mauritius                 |           90 | Serbia & Montenegro       | 116          | Yemen                     |
|           65 | Mexico                    |           91 | Seychelles                | 117          | Zaire                     |
|           66 | Moldova                   |           92 | Singapore                 | 118          | Zambia                    |
|           67 | Magnolia                  |           93 | Slovak Republic           | 119          | Zimbabwe                  |
|           68 | Morocco                   |           94 | Slovenia                  | 120          | Brunei                    |
|           69 | Mozambique                |           95 | Somalia                   | 121          | DR of Congo               |
|           70 | Myanmar                   |           96 | South Africa              | 122          | Saudi Arabia              |
|           71 | Namibia                   |           97 | South Korea               | 123          | Georgia                   |
|           72 | Nepal                     |           98 | Spain                     | 124          | Canada                    |
|           73 | Netherlands               |           99 | Sri Lanka                 | 125          | United Kingdom            |
|           74 | Nicaragua                 |          100 | Sudan                     | 126          | Dominican Republic        |
|           75 | Nigeria                   |          101 | Suriname                  | 127          | France                    |
|           76 | North Korea               |          102 | Syria                     | ------       | --------                  |