Ministry of Culture: Major Schemes, Organisations and Programmes

The Ministry of Culture preserves, promotes, and disseminates India’s tangible and intangible cultural heritage. It operates through 2 attached offices, 7 subordinate offices, 34 autonomous bodies, and 7 Zonal Cultural Centres. The ministry executes statutory functions under laws such as the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958, and the Public Records Act, 1993. It also coordinates cultural relations with foreign nations and implements national missions dedicated to manuscripts, monuments, libraries, and cultural mapping.

Organisational Structure

Attached Offices

• Archaeological Survey of India (ASI): Established in 1861 by Alexander Cunningham, who served as its first Director-General. Headquartered in New Delhi, ASI protects over 3,600 centrally protected monuments under the AMASR Act, 1958. It conducts archaeological excavations, architectural conservation, and epigraphical research.
• National Archives of India (NAI): Founded in 1891 in Kolkata as the Imperial Record Department and later shifted to New Delhi in 1911. It acts as the central repository for non-current records of the Government of India and functions under the Public Records Act, 1993.

Subordinate Offices

• Anthropological Survey of India (AnSI): Established in 1945 at Kolkata under Dr. B.S. Guha. It conducts bio-cultural research on human populations across India.
• National Library, Kolkata: Began as the Calcutta Public Library in 1836, merged into the Imperial Library in 1903, and became the National Library under the Imperial Library (Change of Name) Act, 1948. It is the primary recipient library under the Delivery of Books and Newspapers (Public Libraries) Act, 1954.
• Central Reference Library, Kolkata: Formed in 1955, it acts as the National Bibliographic Agency and publishes the Indian National Bibliography in 14 languages.
• National Museum, New Delhi: Founded in 1949 and opened to the public in 1960. It houses over two lakh antiquities ranging from the Harappan period to modern times.
• National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA): Founded in 1954 at Jaipur House, New Delhi, with regional branches in Mumbai and Bengaluru.
• National Research Laboratory for Conservation of Cultural Property (NRLC): Established in 1976 at Lucknow to provide scientific assistance and research in heritage conservation.
• National Monuments Authority (NMA): Constituted under the AMASR (Amendment and Validation) Act, 2010. It regulates construction and development activities in prohibited (100 metres) and regulated (200 metres beyond prohibited area) zones around protected monuments.

Autonomous Academies and Key Bodies

• Sahitya Akademi: Set up in 1954 to promote Indian literature. It presents annual awards for literary works in 24 languages, including English, Rajasthani, and 22 languages listed in the Eighth Schedule.
• Sangeet Natak Akademi: Formed in 1953 as the national academy for music, dance, and drama. It oversees institutions like the Kathak Kendra in New Delhi and the Jawaharlal Nehru Manipur Dance Academy in Imphal.
• Lalit Kala Akademi: Set up in 1954 to promote visual arts including sculpture, painting, and graphics.
• Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA): Established in 1987 in memory of Indira Gandhi as a resource centre for research in written, oral, and visual arts.
• National School of Drama (NSD): Set up in 1959 by Sangeet Natak Akademi and became an autonomous entity in 1975. It trains students in modern theatre techniques.
• Centre for Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT): Established in 1979 to integrate culture into school curricula through teacher training programs.
• National Council of Science Museums (NCSM): Formed in 1978 in Kolkata. It manages 25 science centres and planetariums across the country.

Zonal Cultural Centres

The ministry established seven Zonal Cultural Centres (ZCCs) between 1985 and 1987 to preserve regional folk and tribal arts. Each centre covers multiple states:

• North Zone Cultural Centre: Patiala, Punjab
• North East Zone Cultural Centre: Dimapur, Nagaland
• Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre: Kolkata, West Bengal
• South Zone Cultural Centre: Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu
• South Central Zone Cultural Centre: Nagpur, Maharashtra
• West Zone Cultural Centre: Udaipur, Rajasthan
• North Central Zone Cultural Centre: Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh

Major Schemes and Initiatives

Kala Sanskriti Vikas Yojana (KSVY)

Kala Sanskriti Vikas Yojana is a Central Sector umbrella scheme for the promotion, preservation, and development of art and culture. It provides financial grants to individual artists and cultural organisations through key sub-schemes:

• Repertory Grant (Guru-Shishya Parampara): Offers financial assistance to traditional gurus and disciples to maintain performing arts groups. Gurus receive up to Rs 15,000 per month and disciples receive monthly stipends.
• Cultural Function and Production Grant (CFPGS): Supports non-governmental organisations, societies, and trusts for organizing seminars, festivals, exhibitions, and theatre productions.
• Financial Assistance to Cultural Organisations with National Presence: Grants up to Rs 5 crore to institutions holding national repute for expanding cultural facilities.
• Financial Assistance for Creation of Cultural Infrastructure: Funds the construction and renovation of auditoriums, museums, and performance halls under the Tagore Cultural Complexes component.
• Fellowships and Scholarships: Includes Senior and Junior Fellowships to outstanding artists and Scholarships to Young Artists in Different Cultural Fields.

Seva Bhoj Yojna

Launched in 2018, Seva Bhoj Yojna reimburses the Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) and the central government share of Integrated Goods and Services Tax (IGST) paid by charitable and religious institutions on raw food ingredients. It applies to institutions like gurdwaras, temples, and mosques that serve free meals (langar or prasadam) to at least 5,000 people per month without discrimination.

Global Engagement Scheme

This scheme provides financial assistance to Indo-Foreign Friendship Societies for organizing cultural programs abroad. It promotes Indian performing arts, classical music, and dance through “Festivals of India” organized in partner countries.

Museum Grant Scheme and SPOCS

• Museum Grant Scheme: Supports state governments, local bodies, and non-profit trusts in setting up new museums, modernizing existing galleries, and digitizing museum collections.
• Scheme for Promotion of Culture of Science (SPOCS): Implemented through the National Council of Science Museums. It funds the setup of Science Cities, Science Centres, and Innovation Hubs across states to foster scientific temper.

National Missions under the Ministry

• National Mission on Manuscripts (NMM): Launched in 2003 to locate, document, preserve, and digitize Indian manuscripts. It maintains a electronic national database named Kriti Sampada.
• National Mission on Monuments and Antiquities (NMMA): Launched in 2007 to build a national register of protected and unprotected monuments, sites, and antiquities.
• National Mission on Libraries (NML): Formed following the recommendations of the National Knowledge Commission. It works on modernizing public libraries, creating a National Virtual Library of India, and upgrading infrastructure in district libraries.
• National Mission on Cultural Mapping (NMCM): Aims to create a comprehensive database of artists, art forms, and cultural assets across Indian villages under the Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar program.

Institutional Framework Overview

Key Facts for Quick Revision

• Alexander Cunningham founded the Archaeological Survey of India in 1861 and served as its first Director-General.
• The National Library in Kolkata receives books and periodicals under the Delivery of Books and Newspapers (Public Libraries) Act, 1954.
• National Monuments Authority regulates prohibited zones within 100 metres and regulated zones within 200 metres of protected monuments.
• The Central Reference Library at Kolkata compiles and publishes the Indian National Bibliography.
• Seven Zonal Cultural Centres were established between 1985 and 1987 to preserve regional folk traditions.
• Kala Sanskriti Vikas Yojana is a Central Sector umbrella scheme fully funded by the central government.
• Seva Bhoj Yojna reimburses central tax on food items purchased by institutions serving free food to at least 5,000 people monthly.
• Sahitya Akademi gives literary awards in 24 languages, including English, Rajasthani, and 22 languages from the Eighth Schedule.
• The National Mission on Cultural Mapping operates the Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar initiative to map cultural assets in Indian villages.
• National Council of Science Museums implements the Scheme for Promotion of Culture of Science (SPOCS) across India.