Ministry of Culture, through the Sangeet Natak Akademi (SNA), an autonomous organization under this Ministry and nodal agency for Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) matters conducts research and documentations for ICH elements including diverse tribal and folk forms and puts it up on the National Inventory of the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH).

The Sangeet Natak Akademi has frequently presented Gusadi Dance and Oggu Katha on various occasions at National/International Events. Furthermore, the Akademi has initiated Kala Deeksha, a national training programme aimed at reviving and sustaining endangered traditional, folk, and tribal performing art forms and provide livelihoods to the artisans.

The Sangeet Natak Akademi undertakes various initiatives to present Indian performing arts at prominent national and international platforms and promotes them through social media and digital channels. Recently, under the Global Dance Overture project with the Kostroma Russian National Ballet, the Akademi organized a Russian-Indian Folk Dance Cultural Exchange Workshop featuring demonstrations of Russian Ballet, Bhangra, Bihu, Koli, and Gusadi dance forms which was witnessed by the national and international audiences.

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

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M Annadurai