The Government has taken several policy and programme initiatives to make culture a source of livelihood, employment and social empowerment, in line with the Panch Pranas.

The Ministry of Culture runs the following Schemes for promotion of both tangible and intangible art and culture to link folk art, tribal traditions, handicrafts, traditional knowledge and Indian languages with education, skill development, tourism and the digital economy, thereby ensuring income and livelihoods for artists and communities:

1. Centenaries and Anniversaries Scheme
2. Kala Sanskriti Vikas Yojana
3. Development of Museums
4. Development of Libraries
5. Global Engagement
6. Gyan Bharatam Mission
7. National Mission on Cultural Mapping and Roadmap

All these schemes are implemented through a network of 43 field organizations of Ministry.

The Ministry has established seven Zonal Cultural Centres (ZCCs) headquartered in Patiala, Nagpur, Udaipur, Prayagraj, Kolkata, Dimapur and Thanjavur which organise various cultural festivals and programmes on regular basis which engages local folk artists thereby generating income and livelihoods for artists and communities.

The Ministry of Culture further empowers the community through:

• Skill Development: Initiatives like the Guru–Shishya Parampara and capacity-building workshops provide market-relevant skills. Institutions such as the Indian Institute of Heritage provide training and capacity building in heritage management and conservation.
• Market Linkages: Digitization, e-market platforms, and Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsavs (RSMs) allow artists to showcase talent and sell handmade products directly.
• Major Festivals: Events such as Bharatiya Kala Mahotsav, Vividhata Ka Amrit Mahotsav, Kashi Tamil Sangamam, Saurashtra Tamil Sangamam, Madhavpur Ghed Fair etc offer national visibility to tribal and folk performers.
• Institutional Support: Various organizations under Ministry of Culture align heritage with the Panch Pranas, hosting workshops (e.g., Madhubani painting, weaving), documentation, research, dissemination and science training to foster employment, youth participation and social empowerment.

Ministry of Culture also administers 08 Museums, 52 archaeological site museums of ASI and various science museums established by National Council of Science Musuems (NCSM) nationwide, which helps in creating local employment.

To encourage Community Participation (Jan Bhagidari), the Ministry has launched the Adopt a Heritage 2.0 programme, facilitating structured partnerships with public and private entities. To date, 30 MoUs have been executed for non-conservation activities aimed at enhancing visitor experience and local livelihoods.

Furthermore, the ASI conducts people-centric initiatives during events like World Heritage Day to foster national heritage awareness and local participation.

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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M Annadurai

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