The major initiatives/events/achievements of Ministry of Culture during the year 2023 are as follows:

AZADI KA AMRIT MAHOTSAV (AKAM)

To honor and commemorate 75 years of India’s independence, Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav (AKAM) was launched by the Prime Minister in March 2021. AKAM became a people’s movement and has united the nation through a whole of society approach.  A continuous effort to spotlight unsung heroes and document local history connected to freedom struggle is ongoing and being showcased on the AKAM website. Till November, 2023 more than 12 thousand stories have been collated and this number is increasing every day

           "Meri Maati Mera Desh" : As the culminating campaign of two-year long Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, “Meri Maati Mera Desh- Maati Ko Naman Veeron ka Vandan” is the unified celebration of India’s soil and valour. It has witnessed tremendous jan bhagidari with more than 7000 blocks from 766 districts of the country. More than 2 lakh Shilaphalakams were established during this campaign. More than 3 crore people took the Panch Pran Pledge and showcased their dedication towards the nation. More than 2 lakhs Amrit Vatikas were created, and over 2 crore tree saplings were planted across the country. Ceremonies and commemorations were organized for 2,18,856 freedom fighters. More than 4 crore people uploaded their selfies under Meri Maati Mera Desh Campaign. More than 8500 Kalash were brought to Delhi from 7000+ blocks of the country.

On 30^th October, 2023, the Amrit Kalash Yatra witnessed all the States and UTs representing their respective Blocks and Urban Local Bodies by putting mitti from their Kalash in one giant Amrit Kalash in the spirit of ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’. The Prime Minister graced the event marking the culmination of Amrit Kalash Yatra under ‘Meri Maati Mera Desh’ Campaign at Kartavya Path on 31st October 2023. The programme marked the closing ceremony of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of Amrit Vatika and Amrit Mahotsav Memorial during the programme. He addressed thousands of Amrit Kalash Yatris joining the programme from across the country. During the programme, Prime Minister also launched Mera Yuva Bharat (MY Bharat) platform for the youth of the country.

G20 ACTIVITIES

• Over a thousand students, youth and children belonging to G-20 countries, colleges and schools of Delhi and NCR participated in the ‘G-20 March for World Peace’ on January, 21, 2023.
• During India’s ongoing G20 presidency, M/o Culture hosted the 1^st G-20 Culture Working Group Meeting from 22^nd to 25^th February, 2023 in Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh.

• Almost 1000 enthusiastic runners barring different age-group from different parts of Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh took part in the “G-20 Run for Women Power” in Gandhi Darshan, Rajghat, New Delhi on 5^th March, 2023.

• During India's ongoing G20 Presidency, Ministry of Culture hosted the Second Culture Working Group meeting in Bhubaneswar, Odisha from 15^th to 17^th May, 2023.

• 3^rd Culture Working Group (CWG) of G-20 Meeting was held in Hampi, Karnataka from 9-12 July 2023. A Lambani embroidery work exhibition was organized during the CWG which was awarded certificate of Guinness Book of World Records for being the largest display of Lambani embroidery patches. The theme for the exhibit was ‘Culture Unites All’.

• During India's G20 Presidency, M/o Culture hosted 4^th G20 Culture Working Group Meeting on 24-25 August, 2023 in Varanasi.

i.  The Outcome Document and Chair’s Summary titled the ‘Kashi Culture Pathway’ was agreed upon by all G20 countries.

ii.  A Report ‘G20 Culture: Shaping the Global Narrative for Inclusive Growth’ based on Global Thematic Webinars was launched in the G20 Culture Ministers Meeting on 26.8.2023.

iii.  The Culture Ministers of the G20 members and invitee countries released the special edition stamp on 26th August, 2023 in Varanasi, to mark the successful conclusion of the deliberations of the CWG of India’s G20 Presidency

INTERNATIONAL CULTURAL RELATIONS

Cultural Exchange Programe (CEP)

The following CEPs were signed by MoC with the following Governments:

1. The Government of the Arab Republic of Egypt for a period of five years on 25^th January, 2023.
2. The Slovak Republic for the years 2023-2026 on 4^th March, 2023.
3. The Republic of Colombia for the period 2023-2026 on 26th April, 2023.
4. The Republic of Mauritius for the years 2023-2026 on 06.07.2023 and is valid till 31-12-2026.
5. The Government of the United Republic of Colombia on 9^th October, 2023 for the years 2023-2027.
6. The Government of the Italian Republic for the years 2023-2027 on 2nd November, 2023.
7. The Government of the Republic of Belarus for the years 2023-2025 on 2nd November, 2023.

Buddhist and Tibetian Institutes (BTI)

            Ministry of Culture in association with Ministry of External Affairs organized a two- day international conference on ‘Shared Buddhist Heritage’ with SCO Nations on 14-15 March,2023 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi with focus on India’s  civilization connect with Member States, Observer States and Dialogue Partners of different countries like China, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, India, Belarus, Bahrain, Myanmar and UAE. The SCO event brought together Central Asian, East Asian, South Asian and Arab countries on a common platform to discuss “Shared Buddhist Heritage’’.

            Ministry of Culture, through its grantee body, the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC), organized the first Global Buddhist Summit on April 20 & 21, 2023, in New Delhi, with the aim of enhancing cultural and diplomatic relations with other countries. Hon’ble Prime Minister, inaugurated the summit. Buddhist monks from various countries took part in the two-day summit.

Festival of India

Festival of India was organized in Kuwait from 17-18 March, 2023 wherein total 35 artists participated.

Festival of India/ Namaste France event was organized from 6th July to 9th July, 2023 in Paris, France wherein a total of Nine Troupes of Kathakali,  Bharatnatyam, Sattriya, Kuchipudi, Kathak, Hindustani Vocal,  Folk Dance-Assam, Folk Dance-Gujarat and Bhajan/Sufi/Ghazal were deputed by Ministry of Culture to perform in the event.

      Retrieval Of Antiquities

      Total 357 antiquities have been retrieved from 1976 till November, 2023. However, a major retrieval has taken place since 2014 with 344 antiquities retrieved from different countries, viz. USA, Australia, UK, Canada etc.

Inclusion in UNESCO’s World Heritage List

The 45th World Heritage Committee meeting was held in 2023 at Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) wherein Santiniketan and Hoysala temples (Sacred Ensembles of Hoysalas) from India were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Santiniketan in West Bengal is a university set up by the Nobel Laureate, Rabindranath Tagore, based on ancient Indian traditions and reflecting his vision and philosophy of recognizing unity of humanity or ‘Visva Bharati’. The Sacred Ensembles of Hoysalas comprise three magnificent 13th century temples of the Hoysala Dynasty in Karnataka, namely Hoysalesvara Temple Helebidu, Channakeshava Temple Belur, and Keshava Temple Somnathapur. This takes India’s World Heritage Sites to 42 (Cultural-34, Natural- 7, Mix-1), putting India in the 6th position for the maximum number of sites on the World Heritage list of UNESCO.

In 2023, Gwalior and Kozhikode were included in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network as creative cities of Music and Literature respectively.

‘Garba of Gujarat’ has been inscribed on the UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

INDIAN ART, ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN BIENNALE 2023

Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the first Indian Art, Architecture & Design Biennale (IAADB) 2023, held at Red Fort. During the programme, PM inaugurated the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat Centre for Design’ and the student Biennale-Sammunnati. A Commemorative Stamp has also been released by PM. Indian Art, Architecture & Design Biennale (IAADB) will serve as an introduction to the Cultural Space in Delhi.

OTHER IMPORTANT EVENTS/INITIATIVES:

• Har Ghar Tiranga Campaign: In the year 2023, more than 10 crore people uploaded their selfies with Tiranga.
• Cultural Extravaganza Vande Bharatam programme of Ministry of Culture, performed by 479 artists remained one of the star attractions at the Republic Day celebrations on 26^th January, 2023. A colorful tableau of Ministry of Culture with the title 'Shakti Rupen Sansthita' was also showcased at the Republic Day celebrations.

• Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav was organised from 11^th to 19^th February, 2023 in Mumbai. More than 300 folk and tribal artists including renowned classical artists, film artists, transgenders and differently abled artists entertained and inspired the audience with the enthralling performances.

• Ministry of Culture in collaboration with Arya Samaj foundation inaugurated the yearlong celebrations commemorating 200^th Birth anniversary of Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati, at New Delhi on 12^th February, 2023. The Prime Minister addressed the event and encouraged everyone to follow the teachings of Maharishi Dayanand.

• Ministry of Culture organized ‘Barisu Kannada Dim Dimava’, Amrit Mahotsav of Delhi-Karnataka Sangha at Talkatora Stadium, New Delhi on 25^th February 2023. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the cultural festival and also took a walkthrough of the exhibition. The festival celebrated Karnataka’s culture, traditions and history.

• Vitasta, a three-day festival was celebrated in Srinagar, J&K from 23^rd to 25^th June, 2023. The festival has been conceived to celebrate the vibrant cultural traditions of Jammu and Kashmir. This festival, being 3^rd edition of Vitasta, showcased the music, singing, dances, handicrafts and cuisine of Jammu and Kashmir along with few performances from other parts of India.

• Samskrita Samunmesha, a three-day National Sanskrit Convention with the motto of carrying the Sanskrit to the grassroot level, was organized as a part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahostav by the Ministry of Culture and Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi with the association of National Sanskrit University, Tirupati and Samskruti Foundation, Mysore, from 12-14 July 2023 at Indoor Stadium, National Sanskrit University, Tirupati.

• Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar platform was launched on 27^th July 2023 at Qutub Minar, New Delhi. A Craft exhibition and market was organized at the venue along with folk dance and music performances with the representatives of 1000 villages. A projection mapping show was also organized at the location.

• India’s largest Folk and Tribal Cultural event “Utkarsh” was organised from 3^rd to 5^th August, 2023 at Ravindra Bhavan, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh which was inaugurated by Hon’ble President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu.

• Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi performed ‘bhoomi poojan’ of ‘Veerangana Rani Durgavati Smarak aur Udyaan’ in Jabalpur in line with the 500th birth centenary celebrations of Rani Durgavati on 5^th October, 2023.

• A grand event was organized on 23rd November, 2023 at Mathura to commemorate 525th Birth Anniversary of Saint Meera Bai. Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi released commemorative coin of Rs. 525/- and postage stamp on the life of Saint Meera Bai.

• Prime Minister inaugurated a three-day Mega Event ‘International Museum Expo 2023’ from 18^th to 20^th  May, 2023 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi to celebrate the International Museum Day and to institutionalize this in its annual calendar. The Museum Expo was designed to initiate a holistic conversation on Museums to enable them to evolve as cultural centers that play a pivotal role in India’s cultural diplomacy.

• Ministry of Culture organised the Festival of Libraries during 5-6 August, 2023. The event was inaugurated by the President of India and valedictory function was graced by Vice-President of India. The Festival was organised with the aim to promote development and digitization of Libraries and cultivate the culture of reading.

• As part of G20 celebrations, the President Smt. Droupadi Murmu on 04.09.2023 unveiled a 12 foot statue of Mahatma Gandhi at Gandhi Darshan, Rajghat, New Delhi.

• The Jury headed by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, on 18^th June, 2023, unanimously decided to select Gita Press, Gorakhpur as the recipient of the Gandhi Peace Prize for the year 2021, in recognition of its outstanding contribution towards social, economic and political transformation through non-violent and other Gandhian methods.

****

Beena Yadav