To organize cultural programmes of India at International level, Ministry of Culture signs Cultural Exchange Programmes (CEPs) for disseminating Indian art and culture across the globe. The Cultural Exchange programmes promote India’s soft power for developing and strengthening India’s inter-cultural relations with other countries. The CEPs facilitate cultural exchanges with other countries in different areas like music and dance, theatre, museums & science museums, libraries, archives, protection and conservation of historic monuments and archaeological sites, literature, research and documentation, festival, among others.

Ministry of Culture also implements a scheme titled “Global Engagement Scheme” to promote India’s rich cultural heritage and enhance India’s image in the global arena in a concerted manner. The objective of the Scheme is to provide artists practicing Indian art forms, an opportunity to perform abroad under the banner of ‘Festival of India’. Under the Scheme, artists from diverse cultural fields such as Folk Art including Folk Music, Folk Dance, Folk Theatre & Puppetry, Classical and Traditional Dance, Experimental/ Contemporary Dance, Classical/ Semi Classical Music, Theatre etc. perform in the ‘Festivals of India’ abroad. Ministry of Culture has empanelled 627 artists/groups under various art forms for performing in the Festivals of India abroad.

Besides, Ministry of Culture promotes Indian folk art, culture and music abroad through Grant-in-aid to Indo-foreign Friendship Cultural Societies in Foreign countries for organizing different cultural programmes and activities. Ministry of External Affairs has a programme called Promotion of Cultural Ties with Diaspora (PCTD) under which limited amount of funds are extended to Indian Missions/Posts abroad to encourage the Indian Diaspora overseas to organise cultural programmes with a view to connect them to their roots. The scheme aims to nourish and strengthen the cultural bonds between India and its Diaspora and to reinforce the cultural identity of the persons of Indian origin.

The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), an autonomous organization under Ministry of External Affairs, promotes Indian culture worldwide through its Cultural Centres and Missions/ Posts abroad. Activities conducted by them include inter-alia, teaching of Yoga, Dance, Music (vocal and instrumental), Sanskrit and Hindi; organising/ supporting Conferences/ Seminars/ Workshops in different fields of Indian culture; supporting Chairs of Indian Studies in  foreign universities; gifting of busts/ statues of Mahatma Gandhi and other national icons, exchanging visual arts exhibitions, celebrating  International Day of Yog, Ayurveda Day and Indian festivals, promoting Indian films, hosting visitors under various Visitors Programmes (Academic/ Distinguished/ Important/ Gen. Next Democracy Network) and sponsoring scholarships to foreign students under different scholarship schemes. ICCR has also concluded MoUs with various State Governments to promote their culture abroad and to facilitate cultural exchanges with foreign countries. ICCR also hosts incoming foreign cultural troupes to enable Indians to discover various foreign countries.

To organize cultural programmes at national level and to protect, preserve & promote various forms of folk art and culture, 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 like Shilpgram Utsav, Orange City Craft Mela, Octave-Festival of North East, Salangai Naadam, Geeta Jayanti Mahotsav, National Crafts Fair, Rashtriya Shilp Mela, Fete-de-Puducherry, Chandigarh National Crafts Mela, Sindhu Darshan Festival, Purbanchalia Lok Mohotsav etc. throughout the country on regular basis.

In addition, the Ministry of Culture also organizes Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsavs (RSMs) in the country and since 2015, the Ministry has organized 14 RSMs and 04 Zonal Level RSMs through its ZCCs up till now. These RSMs aim at bringing together the cultural diversity of India and reconnecting the younger generation to their roots and also make them aware about cultural heritage and ancient cultural values of the country by way of providing an effective platform to a large number of artists from all over India who display their talents during these programmes.

This information was given by Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

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Sunil Kumar Tiwari

pibculture[at]gmail[dot]com

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