12-Dec-2022: Ministry of Culture has set up seven Zonal Cultural Centers for the development Of Arts, Culture and Craft across the country

For conservation and development of art, culture and crafts across the country, the Ministry of Culture, Government of India has set up seven Zonal Cultural Centres (ZCCs) with headquarters at Patiala, Nagpur, Udaipur, Prayagraj, Kolkata, Dimapur and Thanjavur. These ZCCs organize various cultural activities and programmes on regular basis in their member States throughout the year. For conducting various activities/ programmes, ZCCs are provided regular annual grant-in-aid by the Government. However, no State/UT-wise funds are released by the Ministry of Culture for the purpose.

Further, for preservation and development of art, culture and crafts across the country, Ministry of Culture also organizes Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsavs (RSMs) through these ZCCs where a large number of artists from all over India are engaged to showcase their talents. From November, 2015 onwards, twelve (12) RSMs have been organized by Ministry of Culture across the country.

These ZCCs also organize minimum 42 Regional Festivals for promotion of art and culture every year as per their programme calendar. For proper storage of the treasure of knowledge for posterity, several art forms including the vanishing ones are being documented by these ZCCs. Number of arts forms have been documented in digital format (both audio and video formats).

Further, for preservation and promotion of various folk arts & culture of the country, these ZCCs also implement a number of schemes viz. Award to Young Talented Artists, Guru Shishya Parampara, Theatre Rejuvenation, Research and Documentation, Shilpgram, OCTAVE and National Cultural Exchange Programme.

16-Dec-2021: Ministry of Culture is preserving and promoting the National and regional culture of various states of the country through its organizations and schemes

To protect, preserve and promote various forms of folk art & culture and develop national and regional culture of various States of the country, the Government of India has set up seven Zonal Cultural Centres (ZCCs). These ZCCs organize various cultural activities and programmes on regular basis throughout the country. These ZCCs are implementing a number of schemes. Besides, Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsavs (RSMs) are also conducted through these ZCCs where a large number of artists from all over India are engaged to showcase their talents. From November, 2015 onwards, eleven RSMs at 20 places have been organized by Ministry of Culture up till now in the country. These ZCCs also organize minimum 42 Regional Festivals for promotion of culture every year as per their programme calendar.

Ministry of Culture also administers the following financial assistance schemes to promote and develop the national and regional cultures of various States/UTs in the country:

1. Scheme of financial assistance for promotion of art and culture
2. Scheme of financial assistance for creation of cultural infrastructure
3. Scheme of scholarship and fellowship for promotion of art and culture
4. Scheme for pension and medical aid to artists
5. Seva bhoj yojana

Ministry of Culture also administers the  Museum Grant Scheme under which financial assistance is provided for setting up of new museums, development of existing museums, digitization of art objects in the museums and training of museum professionals to the museums managed by Central/State Governments,  societies, autonomous bodies, local bodies, academic institutions and trusts registered under the Societies Act.

Centre for Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT), an autonomous institution under Ministry of Culture implements Cultural Talent Search Scholarship Scheme (CTSSS) at National level. The Scheme is aimed at providing facilities to outstanding talented children selected in the age group of 10 to 14 years studying either in recognized schools or belonging to families practicing traditional performing arts for getting specialized training in various cultural fields such as traditional forms of music, dance and drama as well as painting, sculpture, crafts and literary activities. The value of scholarship is Rs.3600/- per year for the scholarship holder, in addition to reimbursement of the actual tuition fee paid to the Guru/Teacher, up to a ceiling of Rs.9000/- per year.

Schemes being implemented by Zonal Cultural Centres (ZCCs)

1. Award to Young Talented Artistes: The Scheme “Young Talented Artists” is carried out to encourage and recognize the young talents especially in the field of rare art forms. Talented youngsters of the age group of 18-30 years are selected and given a onetime cash award of Rs. 10,000/-.
2. Guru Shishya Parampara: This scheme envisages transmitting our valued traditions to the coming generations. Disciples are trained under veterans in art forms which are rare and vanishing. Rare and vanishing art forms of the region are identified and eminent exponents are selected to carry out the training programmes in ‘Gurukula’ tradition. The monthly remuneration for Guru is Rs. 7,500/-, Accompanist is Rs. 3,750/- and Pupils is Rs. 1,500/- each for the period of six month to maximum 1 year for one scheme. The names of the Gurus are recommended by the State Cultural Affairs Departments.
3. Theatre Rejuvenation: To promote theatre activities including stage shows and Production oriented workshops, etc. Honorarium Up to Rs. 30,000/- per show excluding TA & DA is paid. The groups finalized on the basis their credentials as well as the merit of project submitted by them.
4. Research & Documentation: To preserve promote and propagate vanishing visual and performing art forms including folk, tribal and classical in the field of music, dance, theatre, literature, fine arts etc. in print/ audio – visual media. The art form is finalized in consultation with state Cultural Department.
5. Shilpgram: To promote folk and tribal art and crafts of the zone by organizing seminar, workshops, exhibitions, craft fairs, design development and marketing support to the artisans living in the rural areas.
6. Octave: To promote and propagate the rich cultural heritage of North East region comprising of eight States namely Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Sikkim, Nagaland, Manipur and Tripura to the rest of India.
7. National Cultural Exchange Programme:  It can be termed as the lifeline of the Zonal Cultural Centers. Under this scheme, various festivals of performing arts, exhibitions, yatras etc. are organized in member States. Artists from other zones/states are invited to participate in these programmes. Participation of artists from the Zone in festivals held in other parts of the country is also facilitated. Zonal centres also participate in Major festivals happening in member States by arranging performances during these festivals where large number of audience get chance to enjoy and understand art forms of other regions. These festivals provide opportunity to taste and understand various cultures of our country.

5-Aug-2021: Protection of Culture and Tradition of North-East

To protect and promote the rich and diverse traditions and culture of NE Region, the Government of India has set up North East Zone Cultural Centre (NEZCC) at Dimapur and Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre (EZCC) at Kolkata (autonomous organizations under Ministry of Culture). Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura are the member States of NEZCC, Dimapur and Assam, Manipur, Sikkim and Tripura are also the member States of EZCC, Kolkata. These ZCCs organize various cultural activities and programmes in North-East Region on regular basis. For this purpose, artists of the North East region are engaged by ZCCs to showcase the rich cultural heritage of North East. Further ZCCs are implementing a number of schemes viz. Award to Young Talented Artistes, Guru Shishya Parampara, Theatre Rejuvenation, Research & Documentation etc. 93% of the budget allocation provided to the ZCCs is incurred on the folk and tribal art forms.

In addition, there is one autonomous organization namely Central Institute of Himalayan Culture Studies, Dahung (Arunachal Pradesh) and the following three grantee bodies located in the North Eastern States which are engaged in preserving and promoting the folk art and culture of the NE Region: Centre for Buddhist Studies, Tawang Monastery, Arunachal Pradesh; Namgyal Institute of Tibetology, Gangtok; and GRL Monastic School, Bomdila, Arunachal Pradesh.

Further Ministry of Culture implements various financial grant schemes to preserve, promote and protect various forms of art and culture including that of NE Region by way of extending financial support to individuals and organizations.

As per North Eastern Council (NEC) General Guidelines 2020, promotion of North Eastern Region (NER) is one of the focus sectors under ‘Schemes of NEC’. Projects relating to art and culture of the region are supported under the scheme. During the last five years, 10 projects costing Rs.36.40 crore and three tribal festivals costing Rs.0.34 crore were sanctioned under the scheme.

Projects/events under ‘Schemes of NEC’ are subject to monitoring and evaluation by states and implementing agencies/departments as well as NEC through periodical review meetings. A third-party evaluation of Schemes of NEC was undertaken by Centre for Good Governance (CGG), Hyderabad during 2019-20.

NEC has been supporting various festivals organised by State Governments of NER and NGOs including state festivals like Sangai Festival (Manipur), Behdienkhlam Festival (Meghalaya), Hornbill Festival (Nagaland) etc. across the region to ensure greater participation of the people from various parts of the country, promote tourism as well as enhance cultural connection with other parts of the country. “Destination North East”, an annual affair of showcasing the rich art and culture of NER to attract tourists from other parts of the country has been conducted successfully in various cities, including Chandigarh (2017), Delhi (2018) and Varanasi (2019). Due to COVID-19 pandemic, the event was organised in virtual mode during 2020.

OCTAVE is a festival of the North East that is organized by all Zonal Cultural Centres to promote folk culture of the North Eastern States and connect these States with the rest of India.

27-Jul-2021: Government has set up seven Zonal Cultural Centres to protect, preserve & promote various forms of folk dances, art and culture of the tribals in the country

The Government of India has set up seven Zonal Cultural Centres to protect, preserve & promote various forms of folk dances, art and culture of the tribals in the country. These ZCCs organize various cultural activities and programmes on regular basis throughout the country.

Sahitya Akademi, an autonomous organization under Ministry of Culture, encourages the preservation and promotion of languages, especially the unrecognized and tribal languages.

Ministry of Tribal Affairs is administering a scheme namely “Support to Tribal Research Institutes (TRIs)”. Through this scheme, funds are provided to State Governments to strengthen and support the Tribal Research Institutes (TRIs) in their infrastructure needs, Research & Documentation activities, evidence based action and applied research to find solution and create replicate models of development, construction and maintenance of tribal museums, organization of tribal festivals, programs for preservation of tribal cultural heritage in dance, music, painting etc. & training and capacity building programs.

15-Mar-2021: Conservation of Ancient Folk Cultures

To protect, preserve & promote various forms of folk art and ancient folk cultures throughout the country including Jharkhand, Bihar and Kerala, the Government of India has set up seven Zonal Cultural Centres (ZCCs) with headquarters at Patiala, Nagpur, Udaipur, Prayagraj, Kolkata, Dimapur and Thanjavur. Jharkhand is the member State of Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre (EZCC), Kolkata; Bihar is the member State of North Central Zone Cultural Centre (NCZCC), Prayagraj and Kerala is the member State of South Zone Cultural Centre (SZCC), Thanjavur.

Ancient folk cultures being preserved in Jharkhand are Faguwa Nritya, Turi Nritya, Faguwa Nritya, Turi Nritya, Paika Nritya, Hodopathy, Tribal dance (Karam Nritya).    

Ancient folk cultures being preserved in Bihar are Lok Gatha "Reshma Chuharmal" (Begusarai), Lok Gatha "Bihula Bishari" (Purnia), Lok Gatha "Naradi" (Begusarai), Bidesia Lok Natya (Bhojpur region), Godana Painting (Madhubani), Lok Natya "Hirni-Birni" (Magadh region), Panwaria, Domkach & Sohar Khilona folk dance (All regions of Bihar State), Domkach folk dance (All regions of Bihar State), Jharni & Jhinjhia folk dance (Mithilanchal Area), Bidesia (Bhojpur Area), Bihar Ke Paramparik Natya (All regions of Bihar State), Drupad Dhamar, Godna Geet, Sikki Kala, Tikuli Art and Madhubani Painting.

Ancient folk cultures being preserved in Kerala are Poorakali, Malayankettu & Kannerpattu (Kannur), Daffumuttu (Malabar), Kanyarkali (Thrissur) and Arabanaumuttu (Kozhikode)

No separate allocation of funds is being done art-wise. However, annual grant-in-aid is provided to all the ZCCs for organizing various cultural activities/ programmes in their member States including Jharkhand, Bihar and Kerala.

There is no dedicated scheme to preserve these particular folk art forms. However, these ZCCs organize various cultural activities and programmes all over the country on regular basis for which annual grant-in-aid is provided to them. In this regard, a number of schemes viz. Award to Young Talented Artists, Guru Shishya Parampara, Theatre Rejuvenation, Research & Documentation, Shilpgram, OCTAVE and National Cultural Exchange Programme (NCEP) are being implemented by these ZCCs.

2-Mar-2020: Various schemes have been launched to preserve and promote languages, folk dance, Art and culture of tribals – Culture Minister

To preserve & promote various forms of folk art and culture of the tribals throughout the country including West Bengal, the Government of India has set up seven Zonal Cultural Centres (ZCCs) with headquarters at Patiala, Nagpur, Udaipur, Prayagraj, Kolkata, Dimapur and Thanjavur. These ZCCs organize various cultural activities and programmes all over the country on regular basis. These ZCCs under Ministry of Culture are also implementing a number of schemes for promoting the folk/tribal art and culture, details of which are as below -

1. Award to Young Talented Artists:   The Scheme “Young Talented Artists” is carried out to encourage and recognize the young talents especially in the field of rare art forms. Talented youngsters of the age group of 18-30 years are selected and given a onetime  cash award of Rs. 10,000/-.
2. Guru Shishya Parampara:  This scheme envisages transmitting our valued traditions to the coming generations. Disciples are trained under veterans in art forms which are rare and vanishing. Rare and vanishing art forms of the region are identified and eminent exponents are selected to carry out the training programmes in ‘Gurukula’ tradition. The monthly remuneration for Guru – Rs. 7,500/-, Accompanist – Rs. 3,750/- and        Pupils - Rs. 1,500/- each for the period of six month to maximum 1 year for one scheme. The names of the Gurus are recommended by the State Cultural Affairs Departments.
3. Theatre Rejuvenation:   To promote theatre activities including stage shows and Production oriented workshops, etc. Honorarium Up to Rs. 30,000/- per show excluding TA & DA is paid. The groups finalized on the basis their credentials as well as the merit of project submitted by them. 
4. Research & Documentation:   To preserve promote and propagate vanishing visual and performing art forms including folk, tribal and classical in the field of music, dance, theatre, literature, fine arts etc. in print/ audio – visual media. The art form is finalized in consultation with state Cultural Department.
5. Shilpgram: To promote folk and tribal art and crafts of the zone by organizing seminar, workshops, exhibitions, craft fairs, design development and marketing support to the artisans living in the rural areas.
6. Octave:  To promote and propagate the rich cultural heritage of North East region comprising of eight States namely Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Sikkim, Nagaland, Manipur and Tripura to the rest of India.
7. National Cultural Exchange Programme (NCEP):  It can be termed as the lifeline of the Zonal Cultural Centers. Under this scheme, various festivals of performing arts, exhibitions, yatras etc are organized in member States. Artists from other zones/states are invited to participate in these programmes. Participation of artists from the Zone in festivals held in other parts of the country are also facilitated. Zonal centres also participate in Major festivals happening in member States by arranging performances during these festivals where large number of audience get chance to enjoy and understand art forms of other regions. These festivals provide opportunity to taste and understand various cultures of our country.

Sahitya Akademi, an autonomous organization under Ministry of Culture, encourages the preservation and promotion of languages, especially the unrecognized and tribal languages. The Akademi periodically organizes language conventions throughout the country in this regard.