05 Culture and Tourism

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Culture and
5
Tourism
CULTURE plays an important role in the development

agenda of any nation. Ministry of Culture preserves and
conserves ancient cultural heritage and promotes art and
culture, both tangible and intangible.
The Ministry also nurtures Gandhian Heritage and is
responsible for commemoration of important historical
events and centenaries of great personalities.
INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE

LALIT
KALA AKADEMI
To promote and propagate understanding of Indian art,

both within and outside the country, the Government of
India established Lalit Kala Akademi (National Akademi of
Arts) at New Delhi on 5 August, 1954. The Akademi has
regional centres called Rashtriya Lalit Kala Kendras at
Lucknow, Kolkata, Chennai, Garhi in New Delhi, Shimla
and Bhubaneswar with workshop facilities in painting,
sculpture, print-making and ceramics.
Akademi has been organising national exhibition of

contemporary Indian art with 15 national awards, each of
5O,OOO. Once in every three years, the Akademi also
organises Triennial India, an International exhibition of
contemporary art in New Delhi. Since 1955, the Akademi
has organised 52 National Exhibitions of Art and has
presented the National Award to 545 artists.
The Akademi honours eminent artists and art historians
every year by electing them as Fellows of the Akademi. To
propagate Indian art outside, the Akademi regularly
participates in International Biennials and Triennials abroad
and also organises exhibitions of works of art from other
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countries. To foster contacts with artists from outside, it

sponsors exchange of artists with other countries under the
various Cultural Exchange Programmes and Agreements of
the Government.
The Lalit Kala Akademi accords recognition to art
institutions/associations and extends financial assistance to
these bodies as well as State Academies. lt also gives
scholarships to deserving young artists belonging to its
regional centres. The Akademi brings out monographs on
the works of Indian contemporary artists in Hindi and
English and books on contemporary, traditional, folk and
tribal arts authored by eminent writers and art critics,
biannual art journals, La/it Ka/a Contemporaty (English),
La/it Ka/a Ancient (English) and Samka/een Ka/a (Hindi).
Apart from these, it brings out large size multicolour
reproductions of contemporary paintings and graphics from
time to time. The Akademi has started a regular
programme on research and documentation. Scholars are
given financial assistance to undertake projects on various
contemporary aspects of Indian society and culture. The
Lalit Kala Akademi celebrated its Foundation Day in
collaboration with Dhrupad Kendra, Ustad Alauddin Khan
Academi, Bhopal. Classical music performances, Exhibition
cum workshop titled 'Ragas on Canvas' and a talk by Shri
0m Prakash Sharma, were organised on this occasion in
August, 2013.
0. W.: http://www.lalitkala.gov.in
SANGEET NATAK AKADEMI

Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of
Music, Dance and Drama, is a pioneer in creation of
modern India that led politically to India's freedom in 1947.
The ephemeral quality of the arts, and the need for their
preservation led to the adapting of a democratic system in
which the common man had the opportunity to learn,
practise and propagate the art.
In 1945,
Asiatic Society of Bengal submitted a proposal
for the creation of a National Cultural Trust consisting of

three academies-an Academy of Dance, Drama and
Music, an Academy of Letters and an Academy of Art and
Architecture.
These Conferences convened by the Government of
India finally recommended the creation of three national
academies: an Academy of Dance, Drama and Music, an
Academy of Letters and an Academy of Art after
independence.
The National Academy of Dance, Drama and Music,
named Sangeet Natak Akademi, was the first of these
entities to be established by a resolution of the Ministry of
Education, headed by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, signed
on 31st May, 1952 and inaugurated by the then President
of India, Dr Rajendra Prasad.
Sangeet Natak Akademi was reconstituted by

the Government as a society and registered under the
Societies Registration Act, 1860 (as amended in 1957).
These functions are set down in the Akademi's
Memorandum of Association, adopted at its registration as
In 1961,
society on
11th
September, 1961.
The Akademi has worked towards building up a unified

structure of support for the practice of music, dance and
drama in India encompassing traditional and modern forms,
and urban as well as rural environments. The festivals of
music, dance and drama presented or promoted by the
Akademi are held all over India. The great masters of the
performing arts have been elected as Fellows of the
Akademi. The Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards conferred
annually on eminent artists and scholars are considered the
most coveted honours in the field of performing arts.
Thousands of institutions across the country, including
many in the remote areas, engaged in teaching or
promotion of music, dance and theatre have received
financial assistance for their work from the Akademi, as do
researchers, authors and publishers in relevant disciplines.
has a large archive of audio and video tapes, 16-mm

films, photographs and transparencies and remains the
single most important resource for researchers in the field
of performing arts of India.
It
The Akademi's Gallery of Musical Instruments has more

than 600 instruments of prominence and has been the
source of published documentation over the years.
The Akademi establishes and looks after institutions
and projects of national importance in the field of
performing arts. The Jawaharlal Nehru Manipuri Dance
Academy in Imphal, the premier institution in Manipuri
dance and music established in 1954, is the first of these
institutions. In 1959, the Akademi established the National
School of Drama and in 1964, the Kathak Kendra, both
being based in Delhi. The Akademi's other projects of
national importance are in Kutiyattam theatre of Kerala,
commenced in 1991 and recognised by UNESCO as a
masterpiece of oral and intangible heritage of humanity in
2001. The project on Chhau dance of Orissa, Jharkhand
and West Bengal began in 1994. The project support to
Sattriya music, dance, theatre and allied arts of Assam was
started in 2002.
Being the apex body, the Akademi also advises and
assists the Government of India in formulating and
implementing policies and projects in the field. It fosters
cultural contacts nationally and internationally. The
Akademi has held exhibitions and major festivals in foreign
countries.
O. W.: http://www.sangeetnatak.gov.in
PERFORMING ARTS
MUSIC
Two main schools of classical music-Hindustani and
Carnatic continue to survive through oral tradition being
passed on by teachers to disciples. This has led to the
existence of family traditions called gha ranas and
sampradayas.
DANCE
Dance in India has an unbroken tradition of over 2,000
years. Its themes are derived from mythology, legends and
classical literature, two main divisions being classical and
folk. Classical dance forms are based on ancient dance
discipline and have rigid rules of presentation. Important
among them are Bharata Natyam, Kathakali, Kathak,
Manipuri, Kuchipudi and Odissi. Bharata Natyam, though it
derives its roots from Tamil Nadu, has developed into an all
India form. Kathakali is a dance form of Kerala. Kathak is a
classical dance form revitalised as a result of Mughal
influence on Indian culture. Manipur has contributed to a
delicate, lyrical style of dance called Manipuri, while
Kuchipudi is a dance form owing its origin to Andhra
Pradesh. Odissi from Odisha, once practised as a temple
dance, is today widely exhibited by artistes across the
country. Each region limits ethnic folk/tribal dances.
classical and folk dances owe their present

popularity to institutions like Sangeet Natak Akademi and
other training institutes and cultural organisations. The
Akademi gives financial assistance to cultural institutions
and awards fellowships to scholars, performers and
teachers to promote advanced study and training in rare
forms of dance and music.
Both
THEATRE
Theatre in India is as old as its music and dance. Classical
theatre survives only in some places. Folk theatre can be
seen in its regional variants practically in every region.
There are also professional theatres, mainly city-oriented.
Besides, India has a rich tradition of puppet theatre,
prevalent forms being puppets, rod puppets, glove puppets
and leather puppets (shadow theatre). There are several
semi-professional and amateur theatre groups involved in
staging plays in both English and Indian languages.
SAH ITYA AKADEMI

Sah itya Akademi is the Indian National Academy of Letters,
to
promote Indian literature through publications,
translations, seminars, workshops, cultural exchange

programmes and literary meets organised all over the
country. The Akademi was founded in March 1954 as an
autonomous body fully funded by the Department of
Culture. lt was registered as a Society in 1956 under the
Societies Registration Act, 1860. The Akademi has
recognised 24 languages. lt has an Advisory Board for
each of the languages that suggests various programmes
and publications in the concerned languages. Besides its
Head Office in New Delhi, it has four offices in Kolkata,
Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai. The Akademi has two
Translation Centres at Bengaluru and Kolkata, besides a
Project Office at Shillong for promotion of oral and tribal
literature and an Archive of Indian literature in Delhi. lt
maintains a unique multilingual library in New Delhi and at
its regional offices at Bengaluru and Kolkata, having about
1 .5 lakh books in over 25 languages.
The three fellowships by Sahitya Akademi are:
1.
2.
3.
Sahitya Akademi Honorary Fellowhip

Anand Fellowship
Premchand Fellowship
Akademi confers its fellowship, its highet honour to

literary figures. Sahitya Adademi also instituted a
Fellowship named after Premchand during his 125th Birth
Anniversary in 2005 for scholars doing research on Indian
literature or to creative writers from the countries of the
SAARC region other than India. Every year since its
inception in 1954, the Sahitya Akademi awards prizes to
the most outstanding books of literary merit published in
any of the major Indian languages recognised by the
Akademi. The award amount, which was 5,000 at the time
of inception, had been enhanced to 10,000 from 1983,
25,000 from 1988, 40, 000 from 2001 and is now 50,000
since 2003. The first awards were given in 1955.
The Akademi publishes books in 24 languages including
translations of award-winning works, monographs on the
great pioneers of Indian literature, histories of literature,
Indian and foreign classics in translation, anthologies of
fiction, poetry and prose, biographies, Register of
Translators, Who's Who of Indian Writers, National
Bibliography of Indian Literature and Encyclopedia of Indian
Literature. So far, the Akademi has published over 6,000
books in these different categories. It has three journals,
Indian Literature (bi-monthly in English), Samkaleena
Bharatiya Sahitya (bi-monthly in Hindi) and Samskrita
Pratibha (half-yearly in Sanskrit). Every year the Akademi
publishes 250-300 books on an average. It has certain
special projects like the Ancient Indian Literature, Medieval
Indian Literature and Modern Indian Literature together
constituting ten volumes of the best of Indian writing over
five millennia. It has also launched a new project
Encyclopedia of Indian Poetics.
The Akademi also regularly holds Translation
Workshops and Seminars in and outside India.
The Akademi celebrated its Annual Festival of letters
2014 coinciding with the year of Akademi's incorporation
from 10th to 15th March, 2014.

O. W.: http://www.sahitya-akademi.gov.in
NATIONAL SCHOOL OF DRAMA

The National School of Drama (NSD)-one of the foremost
theatre institutions in the world and the only one of its kind
in India was set up by Sangeet Natak Akademi in 1959.
Later in 1975, it became an autonomous organisation,
totally financed by Department of Culture. The objective of
NSD is to train students in all aspects of theatre, including
theatre history, production, scene design, costume design,
lighting, make-up, etc. The training course at NSD is of
three years duration. The eligible applicants for admission

to the course are screened through two stages. The
Diploma of NSD is recognised by the Association of Indian
Universities as equivalent to M.A. Degree for appointment
as teachers in colleges/universities and for purposes of
registration for Ph.D.
The School has a performing wing, a Reperto,y
Company to establish professional theatre and regular
experimental work. The NSD has promoted children's
theatre. The Theatre-in-Education Company (renamed as
Sanskar Rang Toli) was founded in 1989 and has been
actively involved in production of plays for children,
organising summer theatre workshops in the schools of
Delhi and also promoting children's theatre through
Saturday Club. Since 1998, the School has organised
National Theatre Festival for Children christened 'Jashne
Bachpan' every year. The first ever National Theatre
Festival christened Bharat Rang Mahotsav was held from
18th March to 14th April, 1999 to commemorate the 50th
year of India's Independence. Bharat Rang Mahotsav has

been made an annual feature.
A short-term teaching and training programme titled
'Extension Programme' was started in 1978, under which,
the School organises workshops in collaboration with the
local theatre groups/artists and these programmes are
invariably held in the local languages. The workshops could
be broadly divided under three categories, Production
Oriented Workshops, Production Oriented Children's
Workshops and Teaching and Training Programmes in
Theatre. The School has Regional Research Centre at
Bengaluru to cater to the theatrical needs of the four
Southern States and Puducherry.
The School also publishes textbooks on theatre and
also arranges for translation of important books on theatre
from English into Hindi.
O. W.: http://www.nsd.gov.in
INDIRA GANDHI NATIONAL CENTRE FOR ARTS

The Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts (IGNCA) is an
autonomous centre under the Ministry of Culture,
Government of India.
The IGNCA's view of the arts encompasses wide areas
such as creative and critical literature, written and oral; the
visual arts, architecture, sculpture, painting, graphics,
photography and film. The Centre aims at exploring,
studying and reviving the dialogue between India and her
neighbours, in areas pertaining to the arts, and between
communities in India and the world.
The IGNCA organises national seminars, conferences,
exhibitions and lecture series. It focuses on schools and
educational institutions and complements its research by
cross disciplinary landscape studies. During these 25
years, the IGNCA has collaborated with like-minded
institutions
around the globe,
organising several
international seminars and exhibitions, with renowned
scholars from world.
The official website www.ignca.nic.in gives complete upto-date information on the activities of the Centre.
O. W.: http://www.ignca.nic.in
CENTRE FOR CULTURAL RESOURCES AND

TRAINING
The Centre for Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT) is
one of the premier institutions working in the field of linking
education with culture. The Centre was set up in May 1979
as an autonomous organisation by the Government of
India. With headquarters in New Delhi, it has three regional
centres at Udaipur, Hyderabad and Guwahati.
The broad objectives of CCRT have been to revitalise
the education system by creating an understanding and
awareness among students about the plurality of the
regional cultures of India and integrating this knowledge
with education. The main thrust is on linking education with
culture and making students aware of the importance of

culture in all development programmes. lt conducts a
variety of training programmes for in-service teachers
drawn from all parts of the country. The training provides an
understanding and appreciation of the philosophy,
aesthetics and beauty inherent in Indian art and culture and
focuses on formulating methodologies for incorporating a
cultural component in curriculum teaching. This training
also stresses the role of culture in science and technology,
housing, agriculture, sports, etc. lt creates awareness
amongst students and teachers of their role in solving
environmental pollution problems and conservation and
preservation of the natural and cultural heritage.
conducts programmes on special request, by

organising workshops on drama, music, narrative art forms,
etc., Teachers are encouraged to develop programmes in
which the art form can be profitably utilised to teach
educational curriculum.
lt
The CCRT organises educational tours to monuments,

museums, art galleries, craft centres, zoological parks and
gardens, camps on conservation of natural and cultural
heritage, camps on learning crafts using low cost locally
available resources, lectures and demonstrations by artists
and experts on various art forms, demonstrations by artists
and craft persons in schools. They emphasise on
intellectual and aesthetic development of the students.
Over the years, CCRT has been collecting scripts,

colour slides, photographs, audio and video recordings and
films. Each year it aims to revive and encourage the art and
craft forms of rural India. The Centre also prepares
publications, to provide an understanding and appreciation
of aspects of Indian art and culture.
CCRT implements the Cultural Talent Search
Scholarship Scheme, which provides scholarships to
outstanding children in the age group of 10 to 14 years,
studying either in recognised schools or belonging to
families practicing traditional performing or other arts to
develop their talent in various cultural fields particularly in

rare art forms. The scholarships continues till the age of 20
years or the first year of a University degree.
The Centre has instituted CCRT Teachers Award which
is given every year to selected teachers for their
outstanding work in education and culture. The Award
carries with it a citation, a plaque, an angavastram and a
cash prize of10,000.
O. W.: http://www.ccrtindia.gov.in
ZONAL CULTURAL CENTRES (ZCC)

Zonal Cultural Centres aim to arouse awareness of the
local cultures and to show how these merge into zonal
identities and eventually into the rich diversity of India's
composite culture. These centres have already established
themselves as a premier agency in the field of promotion,
preservation and dissemination of culture in the entire
country. They promote performing arts by significant
contribution in literary and visual arts. The seven zonaI
cultural centres were established under this scheme during
1985-86 at Patiala, Kolkata, Thanjavur, Udaipur, Allahabad,
Dimapur and Nagpur. The participation of states in more
than one zonaI cultural centre according to their cultural
linkage is a special feature of the composition of the zonaI
centres. Government of India and the participating State
Governments enable the ZCC5 to finance their activities
from the interest earned on the investment on Corpus
Fund. The Government of India has provided a grant of 5
crore to each ZCC and each constituent state has provided
one crore. From 1993 all the Zonal Cultural Centres have
been sending their folk artistes for participation in the
Republic Day Folk Dance Festival. This festival is
inaugurated by the Hon'ble President of India every year on
24th125th January at the Talkatora Indoor Stadium in New
Delhi. The Festival provides a unique opportunity for folk
artistes to perform at the national level.

Master craftsmen and artisans from various ZCC5

participate in Crafts Fair. Documentation of various rare
Folk and Tribal Art forms is one of the main thrust areas of
the ZCC5. Under the National Cultural Exchange
Programme (NCEP), exchanges of artists, musicologists,
performers and scholars between different regions within
the country take place. lt has been extremely useful in
promoting awareness of different tribal/folk art forms in
different parts of the country. A scheme of Theatre
Rejuvenation provides an opportunity to students, actors,
artists, directors and writers to perform on a common
platform. Guru Shishya Parampara has been introduced to
promote new talents. The ZCC5 promote craftsmen through
Shilpgrams. ZCC5 identify the different performing/folk art
forms in their area and select one or two talented artists in
each of the fields.
TANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE

ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) was established
in 1861. lt functions as an attached office of the
Department of Culture. The organisation is headed by the
Director General.
The major activities of the Archaeological Survey of
India are:
i)
Survey of archaeological remains and excavations;
ii) Maintenance and conservation of centrally protected
monuments, sites and remains;

iii) Chemical preservation of monuments and
antiquarian remains;
iv) Architectural survey of monuments;
y) Development of epigraphical research and
numismatic studies;
vi) Setting up and re-organisation of site museums;
vii) Expeditions abroad;
viii) Training in Archaeology;

ix) Publication of technical reports and research works.
There are 24 Circles and 5 Regional Directorates

through which the Archaeological Survey of India
administers the work of preservation and conservation of
monuments under its protection.
Under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites
and Remains Act, 1958, the ASI has declared three
thousand six hundred and seventy five monuments/sites to
be of national importance in the country which includes
twenty one properties that are inscribed on the World
Heritage List by UNESCO.
Three
sites,
namely,
Champaner-Pavagarh
Archaeological Park in Gujarat, Chhatrapati Shivaji
Terminus (formerly Victoria Teminus) Station in Mumbai
and
the
Brihadisvara
temple
complex,
Gangaikondacholapuram and the Airavatesvara temple
complex, Darasuram as an extension to the Brihadisvara
temple complex, Thanjavur (now commonly called as the
Great Living Chola Temples) have been inscribed on the
World Heritage List of UNESCO in 2004.
Nomination dossiers for the following sites have been
sent to the World Heritage Centre for inscription on the
World Heritage List of UNESCO: (i) Shri Harminder Sahib
(Golden Temple) at Amritsar, Punjab. (ii) Majuli Island in
Mid-stream of river Brahmaputra in Assam. (iii) Valley of
Flowers as an extension to the Nanda Devi National Park in
Uttaranchal. (iv) Red Fort, Delhi (a deferred nomination).
The total number of individual structures being
maintained by the ASI is over five thousand. The activities
of its various wings are as under:
Underwater Archaeology Wing:
Search, study and

preservation of cultural heritage lying submerged in inland
or territorial waters are among the principal functions of the
Underwater Archaeology Wing. lt carries out exploration

and excavation in Arabian Sea as well as in Bay of Bengal.
Science Branch: The Science Branch of the Survey with

its headquarters at Dehradun and field laboratories in
different parts of the country carries out chemical
preservation of
paintings, etc.
monuments,
antiquities,
manuscripts,
Laboratories of Science Branch at Dehradun have

undertaken the following Scientific Projects: (1) Evaluation
of new materials as preservative coatings and strengthened
for stone, terracotta, bricks & adobe structures. (2)
Scientific studies related to conservation of ancient lime
plaster. (3) Evaluation of physical characteristics of plaster
cement with addition of rapid hardening plaster cement in
different proportions.
Horticulture Branch: The Horticulture Branch of the ASI

maintains gardens in about two hundred and eighty seven
centrally protected monu ments/sites located in different
parts of the country. The branch provides periodic plants to
be used in gardens by developing base nurseries at Delhi,
Agra, Srirangapatnam and Bhubaneswar.
Epigraphy Branch: The Epigraphy Branch at Mysore

carries out research work in Sanskrit and Dravidian
languages while the one at Nagpur carries out research
work in Arabic and Persian.
Expeditions Abroad:
The ASI has taken up the

conservation project of Ta Prohm, Cambodia under the
ITEC programme of Ministry of External Affairs with an
outlay of 19.51 crore. The conservation project has been
started on the request of the Royal Government of
Cambodia for India's assistance in Conservation and
Restoration of Prasat Ta Prohm. The conservation project
is for a period of ten years and is to be completed in five
phases.
The ASI commenced the conservation project from
January 2004 onwards and it was formally launched in
February 2004 in Cambodia.

O. W.: http:IIwviw.asi.nic.in
NATIONAL MISSION ON MONUMENTS AND

ANTIQUITIES (NMMA)
The National Mission on Monuments and Antiquities was
launched on 1gth March, 2007 with a budgetary outlay of

90 crore. lt prepares a National Register for Built Heritage,
Sites and Antiques and setting up of a State level database
on Built Heritage, Sites andAntiquarian wealth for
information and dissemination to planners, researchers
etc., and better management of such cultural resources.
The time frame prescribed for the NMMA to accomplish its
mandate was five years.
NATIONAL MISSION FOR MANUSCRIPTS (NMM)

lt was launched by the Government in 2003 with the Indira
Gandhi National Centre for Arts (IGNCA) as the nodal

agency to reclaim India's inheritance of knowledge
contained in the vast treasure of manuscripts. There are 46
Manuscripts
Resource
Centres,
33
Manuscripts
Conservation Centres, 42 Manuscripts Partner Centres and
300 Manuscripts Conservation Partner Centres.
Major activities of the NMM are-documentation of

manuscripts through survey, preventive and curative
conservation, conducting training courses and workshops
on
conservation, manuscriptology and paleography,
documentation
through
digitization,
research
and
publication and public outreach programmes to create
public consciousness for preserving and dissemination of
manuscripts.
NATIONAL MUSEUM
The National Museum, functions as a subordinate office
under the Ministry of Culture since 1960, houses over 2.6
lakh art objects dating from prehistoric era onwards. The
main activities of the Museum are as follows: Exhibitions,
Reorganisation/Modernisation of Galleries, Educational

Activities and Outreach Programmes, Public Relations,
Publications, Photo Documentation, Summer Holiday
Programmes, Memorial Lectures, Museum Corner, Photo
Unit, Modelling Unit, Library, Conservation Laboratory, and
Workshops.
NATIONAL GALLERY OF MODERN ART

The National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), New Delhi
was founded in 1954 to promote and develop contemporary
Indian Art. NGMA has 17858 works of art, representing
about 1748 contemporary Indian artists. The collection has
been built up mainly by purchase and also by gift. The
NGMA's important collections include paintings, sculptures,
graphic arts and photographs. lt organises exhibitions from
its collection and under Cultural Exchange Programme
periodically. Several colour reproductions have been
brought out. The objective of NGMA is to help people look
at the works of modern art with understanding and
sensitivity.
The other important museums are: Indian Museum, Victoria
Memorial Hall, Salarjung Museum and National Council of
Science Museum.
O. W.: http://www.ngmaindia.gov.in
NATIONAL MUSEUM INSTITUTE OF HISTORY OF

ART, CONSERVATION AND MUSEOLOGY
is an autonomous organisation fully funded
by the
Ministry of Culture was established and declared as a
Deemed University in 1989. This is the only Museum
University in India and is presently functioning at the first
floor of National Museum, New Delhi. As per its
It
Memorandum of Association, the Director General,

National Museum is the ex-officio Vice-Chancellor of this
University.
Main objectives: (a) To provide education and training in
the specialised areas of Art History, Conservation and
Museology leading to the award of M.A. and Ph.D. Degrees

in these three disciplines. (b) A few short-term coursesIndia Art and culture, Art Appreciation and Bhartiya
Kalanidhi (Hindi Medium) are also conducted to popularise
the Indian culture. (c) To organise seminars/workshops,
conferences and special lectures on Museum Education,
Art and Culture.
NATIONAL RESEARCH LABORATORY FOR

CONSERVATION OF CULTURAL PROPERTY
NRLC was established in 1976, as a Subordinate Office of
the Department of Culture, and is recognised by the
Department of Science and Technology as a scientific
institution of the Government of India. NRLC aims to
develop conservation of cultural property in the country.
NRLC provides conservation services and technical advice
in matters concerning conservation to museums, archives,
archaeology departments and other similar institutions,
imparts training in different aspects of conservation, carries
out research in methods and materials of conservation,
disseminates knowledge in conservation and provides
library services to conservators of the country. The
headquarters of NRLC is situated at Lucknow. A regional
centre of the NRLC, the Regional Conservation Laboratory
is functioning at Mysore for conservation. For more
information visit NRLC at www.nrlccp.org
RAMAKRISHNA MISSION INSTITUTE OF

CULTURE, KOLKATA
The Institute was conceived in 1936 as one of the
permanent memorials to Sri Ramakrishna (1836-1 886) on
the occasion of his first birth centenary. It was formally
established on 29 January, 1938 as a branch centre of the
Ramakrishna Mission founded by Swami Vivekananda to
propagate the message of Vedanta as propounded by Sri
Ramakrishna, whose basic teachings stressed: (i) the
equality of all religions; (ii) the potential divinity of man; and
(iii) service to man as a way of worshipping
God-a
new
religion for mankind.
Dedicated to promote the ideal of the unity of mankind,

the Institute has made people aware of the richness of the
cultures of the World and the urgent need for inter-cultural
appreciation, understanding and acceptance of each
other's points of view. The key note of everything the
Institute does is thus, respect for others' point of view and
its assimilation and acceptance for one's own enrichment.
ANTHROPOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA

The Anthropological Survey of India is a premier research
organisation under the Ministry of Culture. It has completed
60 years of its existence and has carried out
anthropological researches in the area of bio-cultural
aspects of Indian population in general and on those who
are referred to as the "Weakest of the Weak" in particular.
Besides this, the activities include collection, preservation,
maintenance, documentation and study of ethnographic
materials as well as ancient human skeletal remains. Over
the years, the Survey has generated information from
grass-root level through sustained research by its Head
Office at Kolkata and also its seven Regional Centres, one
Sub-regional Centre, one permanent field station and eight
other field stations located in various parts of the country,
besides a Camp Office at New Delhi.
O. W.: http://www.ansi.gov.in
NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF INDIA

The National Archives of India (NAI), New Delhi known until
independence as Imperial Record Department, was
originally established in Kolkata on 11 March, 1891. It is the
official custodian of all non-current record of permanent
value to the Government of India and its predecessor
bodies. It has a Regional Office at Bhopal and three Record
Centres at Bhubaneswar, Jaipur and Puducherry.
Major activities of the Archives include: (i) making public

records accessible to various Government agencies and

research scholars; (ii) preparation of reference material; (iii)
preservation and maintenance of records and conducting of
scientific investigations for the said purpose; (iv) evolving
records management programmes; (y) rendering technical
assistance to individuals and institutions in the field of
conservation of records; (vi) imparting training in the field of
archives
administration,
records
management,
reprography, repair and conservation of records, books and
manuscripts at professional and subprofessional levels;
and (vii) creation and promotion of archival consciousness
in the country by organising thematic exhibitions.
The National Archives of India provides financial
assistance to States/Union Territories, Archives, Voluntary
Organisations and other custodial institutions, so that the
documentary heritage is preserved and archival science is
promoted.
O. W.: http://www.nationalarchives.nic.in
LIBRARIES
NATIONAL LIBRARY
The National Library, Kolkata was established in 1948 with
the passing of the Imperial Library (Change of Name) Act,
1948. lt enjoys the status of an institution of national
importance, its functions are: (i) Acquisition and
conservation of all significant printed material (to the
exclusion only of ephemera) as well as of manuscripts of
national importance; (ii) Collection of printed material
concerning the country, no matter where this is published;
(iii) Rendering of bibliographical and documentary services
of current and retrospective material, both general and
specialised. (This implies the responsibility to produce
current
national
bibliographies
and
retrospective
bibliographies on various aspects of the country); (iv)
Acting as referral centre, surveying full and accurate
knowledge of all sources of bibliographical information and
participation in international bibliographical activities; and

(y) Acting as a centre for international book exchange and
internal loan.
O. W.: http://www.nationallibrary.gov.in
CENTRAL SECRETARIAT LIBRARY

The Central Secretariat Library (CSL) originally known as
Imperial Secretariat Library, Kolkata was established in
1891. Since 1969 the Library has been housed at Shastri
Bhawan, New Delhi with a collection of over seven lakh
documents mainly on Social Sciences and Humanities. lt is
a depository of Indian
Official Documents, Central
Government and State Government documents.
The collection of Area Studies Division is unique in
which books have been arranged according to
geographical area.lt has an extremely rich rare book
collection, with a large biographic collection.
The CSL is mainly responsible for overall collection and
development on all subjects useful in policy decisionmaking process collection on developmental literature. lt
provides all possible readers' services to Central
Government officials and other research scholars visiting
the Library from all over India. In the recent past, CSL has
digitized the Government of India Gazette, Committee and
Commission Reports and has also developed the OPAC
system for its collection.
The Library has two branches, namely, Hindi and
Regional Languages Wing popularly known as Tulsi Sadan
Library, Bahawalpur House, New Delhi that houses about
1.9 lakh volumes of Hindi and 13 other constitutionally
approved Indian Regional Language books and a Text
Book Library located at R.K. Puram, New Delhi which
caters to the needs of the wards of Central Government
Employees of Under Graduate level.
The other important libraries include Raja Rammohan
Roy Library Foundation, Delhi Public Library, Rampur Raza
Library, and Khuda Baksh Oriental Public Library.
SCHOLARSHIP AND FELLOWSHIP DIVISION

The Scholarship and Fellowship Division of the Ministry
operates the following schemes to provide monetary
assistance to individuals/organisations engaged in
promoting cultural activities in the country:
1.
Scheme for Award of Scholarships to Young

Artistes in different Cultural Fields
Scholarships are awarded to young artistes of
outstanding promise for advanced training in the
fields of Indian Classical Dances, Indian Classical
Music, Theatre, Visual Arts, Folk, and Traditional
forms of Arts, etc. Under the Scheme, a total of 400
scholarships of 5000I- per month are awarded each
year for a period of two years. Artistes in the age
group of 18-25 years are eligible to apply. The
applicants must have undergone a minimum of five
years' training with their Gurus/Institutes.
2.
Scheme for Award of Fellowships to

Outstanding Persons in the fields of Culture
Fellowships are awarded to the outstanding artistes
in the fields of Literary Arts, Plastic Arts, Performing
Arts, Indology, Epigraphy, Sociology of Culture,
Cultural Economics, Structural and Engineering
Aspects of Monuments, Numismatics, Scientific and
Technical Aspects of Conservation, Management
aspect of Art and Heritage, and Studies relating to
application of Science and Technology in areas
related to culture. These are awarded for a period of
two years; out of which 125 are Senior Fellowships
having a value of 15,000/- per month and 125 are
Junior Fellowships having a value of 7500/- per
month. Artistes in the age bracket of 40 years and
above are eligible to apply for Senior Fellowships and
artistes from 25 to 40 years of age can apply for
Junior Fellowships. The Fellowships are awarded for

undertaking research oriented projects. While both
academic research and performance related
research are encouraged, the applicant is required to
provide evidence of his/her capabilities in undertaking
the project.
3.
Scheme of Financial Assistance for Seminars,

Festivals and Exhibitions on Cultural Subjects by
Not-for Profit Organisations (Cultural Functions
Grant Scheme).
The Ministry of Culture has come up with an
enlarged and revised version of 'Seminar Grant
Scheme' is now called the "Cultural Functions
Grant Scheme". Formally, it goes under the title
"Scheme of Financial Assistance for Seminars,
Festivals and Exhibitions on Cultural Subjects by Notfor-P rofit Organisations". Salient features of the
scheme are as under:
(i) The New "Cultural Functions Grant Scheme",
covers festivals and exhibitions, along with

research projects, seminars, conferences,
symposia etc.
(ii) The new scheme also increases the upper limit
of assistance. Assistance in case of any

particular project is restricted to 75 per cent of
the total project cost, but the Government's
contribution can now go up to 5 lakhs.
(iii) University Departments and University Centres
would also be entitled to apply for assistance,
along with NGO5, societies, trusts etc.
(iv) Previously the Seminar Grant Scheme was
opened for fresh applications only once during

each year, whereas the new "Cultural Functions
Grant Scheme" would remain open for
applicants throughout the year.
(y) NGOsNoluntary Organisations (but not
Universities or their Centres) would have to sign

up/register with the NGO Partnership National
Portal http://ngo.india.gov.in/ through a simple
operation for database purpose.
4.
Financial Assistance to Ramakrishna Mission

Institute of Culture, Kolkata (a cultural
organisation with national presence)
The Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture, a
branch Centre of the Ramakrishna Mission, is run by
a Managing Committee comprising of eminent
scholars and distinguished persons from different
walks of life. The Governor of West Bengal is the
President of its Managing Committee.
Dedicated to promote the ideal of the unity of

mankind, the Institute has spread awareness of the
richness of the cultures of the world and the need for
inter-cultural appreciation, understanding and
acceptance of each other's points of view - an
approach which is conducive to international
understanding at the global level and national
integration at home. The key note of everything the
Institute does is thus to respect other's point of view
and its assimilation and acceptance for one's own
enrich ment.
To support its activities, the Government of India
and the Government of West Bengal have been
sanctioning grants for the maintenance of the
Institute since 1962.
5.
Scheme for Visiting Fellows in Art, Culture &

Heritage
This scheme has recently been introduced to
invigorate and revitalise the various institutions under
the Ministry of Culture which have vast 'treasures' in
the form of manuscripts, documents, artifacts,
antiquities and paintings. It encourages serious

researches into our cultural resources so that the
nation gets to benefit from the results. Museums, for
instance, can hardly display more than a small
fraction of their entire holdings but the schemes like
this would encourage research, scholarship and
analysis of the objects that are not usually available
for public viewing.
At present, it covers 17 institutions or organisations
under the Ministry.
The scheme is open to both Indian and foreign
academics and researchers.
Scholars and researchers, who have sound

academic or professional credentials and experts in
their respective fields or are persons with significant
creative work in any field of art or culture are eligible.
The Fellowships are normally awarded for a period of
two years.
Fellows will have the benefit of access to national
cultural institutions for study and research material
and infrastructural support.
The scheme offers the best terms, emoluments and
facilities in order to draw the best talent available
from academic and research institutes, as well as to
attract researchers with domain knowledge.
Professors, who came on 2 year's lien, would be

fully compensated with pay allowance, HRA etc, and
would also be entitled to a sum of upto 3.5 lakhs
each year (for 2 years) by way of project assistance.
Retired academics or researchers, with established
credentials, would be entitled to an honorarium of
8O,OOO per month, in addition to other financial and
logistic support.
Outstation Fellows would also be entitled to a

'Settling-in-allowance'.
TOURISM
Positioning tourism as a major engine of economic growth
and harnessing its direct and multiplier effects on
employment and poverty eradication in a sustainable
manner by active participation of all segments of the
society is the main objective of the tourism policy of
Government of India. Tourism sector is one of the largest
employment generators in the Country and plays a very
significant role in promoting inclusive growth of the lessadvantaged sections of the society and poverty reduction.
Apart from marketing and promotion, the focus of tourism
development plans is now on integrated development of
tourism infrastructure and facilities through effective
partnership with various stakeholders. The role of
Government in tourism development has been redefined
from that of a regulator to that of a catalyst.
Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTA5) in India during 2013
were 6.97 million. The Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEEs)
fromg tourism in terms of US dollars during 2013 was US$
18.445 billion with a growth of 4.0%. Substantial growth
was observed in domestic tourism sector as the domestic
tourist visits during the year 2013 was 1145 million
(Provisional), showing a growth of 9.59% over 2012.
Visa-on-Arrival (V0A)
effort to promote inbound tourism in the country, the

government announced Tourist Visa-on-Arrival in 2010. At
present, it provides Tourist Visa on Arrival facility (TV0A) to
the nationals of 12 countries namely Finland, Japan,
Luxembourg, New Zealand,
Singapore, Cambodia,
Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, Laos, Myan mar and South
Korea. This facility was initially available at the international
airports of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata. However,
with effect from 15 August, 2013 this facility has been
extended through Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Kochi and
In an
Thiruvananthapuram. During the period January to

December 2013, a total number of 20,294 Visa on Arrivals
(VoAs) were issued as compared to 16,084 VoAs during
the corresponding period of 2012 registering a growth of
26.2%. The number of VoAs issued under the Scheme
duirng January to December 2013 was Japan (6,448), New
Zealand (3,968), the Philippines (2,967), Indonesia (2,758),
Singapore (2,486), Finland (1,030), Vietnam (205),
Myanmar (148), Luxembourg (145), Cambodia (120) and
Laos (19).
During the period January to December 2013, the
highest number of VoAs were issued in New Delhi airport
(11,046) followed by Mumbai (4,206), Chennai (2,815),
Kolkata (1,351), Bengaluru (380), Kochi (229), Hyderabad
(165) and Trivandrum (102).
Niche Tourism Products

The Ministry of Tourism has taken the initiative of
identifying, diversifying, developing and promoting niche
products of the tourism industry. This is done in order to
overcome the aspect of 'seasonality' and to promote India
as a 365 days destination, attract tourists with specific
interest, and to ensure repeat visits for the unique products
in which India has a comparative advantage. Identifying
niche products is a dynamic process. Thus, new products
may be added in due course. The Ministry of Tourism has
constituted Committees for promotion of Golf Tourism and
Wellness Tourism. Guidelines have also been formulated
by the Ministry to support Golf, Polo, Medical and Wellness
Tourism. Accordingly, the following Niche Products have
been identified by the Ministry of Tourism for development
and promotion:
Cruise
Adventure
Medical
Wellness
Golf
Polo
Meetings Incentives
(MICE)
Eco-tourism
Film Tourism
Sustainable Tourism
Conferences
&
Exhibitions
Incredible India-Bed & Breakfast/Homestay

Scheme
The scheme offers foreign and domestic tourists an
opportunity to stay with an Indian family and enjoy the
warm hospitality and a taste of Indian culture and cuisine in
a clean and affordable place. With a view to encourage the
growth of such establishments and also to simplify the
procedure of approvals, the Ministry of Tourism has
recently reviewed the scheme and has simplified the
guidelines by amending certain norms.
Medical Tourism
Medical Tourism (also called medical travel, health tourism
or global healthcare) is a term used to describe the rapidly
growing practice of travelling across international borders to
obtain health care. Services typically sought by travellers
include elective procedures as well as complex specialized
surgeries such as joint replacement (knee/hip), cardiac
surgery, dental surgery, and cosmetic surgeries. However,
virtually every type of healthcare, including psychiatry,
alternative treatments, and convalescent care is available
in India.
The Medical Tourism activity is mainly driven by the
private sector. The Ministry of Tourism has only the role of
a facilitator in terms of marketing this concept and
promoting this in the key markets. The Ministry of Tourism
has taken several steps to promote India as a Medical and
Health Tourism Destination, which are as follows:
Brochure, CD5 and other publicity material to promote

Medical and health tourism have been produced by
the Ministry of Tourism and have been widely

distributed and circulated for publicity in target
markets.
Medical and health tourism have been specifically
promoted at various international platforms such as
World Travel Mart, London, ITB, Berlin, Arabian
Travel Mart etc.
'Medical Visa' has been introduced, which can be
given for specific purpose to foreign tourists coming to
India for medical treatment.
An international road show on medical tourism was
organized in Nairobi, Kenya & Dar-E-Salaam,
Tanzania, in association with FICCI in AugustSeptember, 2012.
An international exhibition road show on medical
tourism India Medical Tourism Destination 2013
(Nigeria) was organized at Abuja on September
23rd
and at Lagos on 25th & 26th September, by FICCI in

association with the Ministry of Tourism.
The Ministry of Tourism also supported the National
Conference-Health Tourism in India, organized by
PHD Chamber of Commerce, held at New Delhi on
26th
July, 2013.
India Tourism Development Corporation

India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) is a Public
Sector Undertaking under administrative control of the
Ministry of Tourism. Incorporated on 1st October 1966,

ITDC played a key role in the development of tourism
infrastructure in the country. Apart from developing the
largest hotel chain in India, the ITDC offers tourism related
facilities like transport, duty free shopping, entertainment,
production of tourist publicity literature, consultancy etc.
ITDC has played a committed and pivotal social role in the
development of tourism infrastructure in backward areas,
thereby trying to promote regional balance. After the
disinvestment of 18 hotels, ITDC consolidated its remaining
activities and restructured itself to take up diversified

service-oriented business activities like consultancy and
execution of tourism and engineering projects, training
consultancy in hospitality sector, event management and
mounting of Son-et-Lu meire (SEL) Shows, etc.
The present organizational set-up at the corporate level
comprises Managing Director, Functional Directors and
heads of business groups viz. The Ashok Group of Hotels,
Corporate
Marketing,
Events
Management, Ashok
International Trade, Ashok Travels & Tours, Ashok
Creatives & Public Relations, Ashok Institute of Hospitality
& Tourism Management and Engineering Services Division
supported by Human Resource Management, Finance &
Accounts, Vigilance & Security, Administration and
Secretarial etc., are important players.
Network of ITDC Services

The present network of ITDC consists of 8 Ashok Group of
Hotels, 7 Joint Venture Hotels including one yet to be
completed hotel, I Restaurant, II Transport Units, I
Tourist Service Station, 7 Duty Free Shops at
airports/seaports, 2 Sound & Light Shows and 3 Catering
Outlets. Besides, ITDC is also managing a Hotel at
Bharatpur and a Tourist Complex at Kosi.
Some Major Promotional Activities Undertaken for

Overseas Promotion
The Ministry of Tourism, undertook a series of promotional
initiatives to aggressively promote tourism to India.
Road Shows
As part of the promotional initiatives undertaken, Road
Shows were organized in important tourist generating
markets overseas with participation of different segments of
the travel industry. The Road Shows comprised
presentations on India followed by one-to-one business
meetings between the trade delegation from India and the
travel trade in the respective countries.
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Jeddah, Riyadh and

Damman)
Nordic Europe (i.e., Oslo, Stockholm and Helsinki)
Australia (Sydney and Melbourne)
USA (East Coast)
South East Asia (Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and
Manila)
USA (West Coast)/Canada and China (Shanghai,
Beijing and Gungzhou)
Germany (Hamburg, Dusseldorf, Stuttgart and
Munich)
Austria (Vienna)
Besides, India Tourism Offices in overseas also
participated
in
Road
Shows organized by Tour
Operators/Travel Agents in countries under their respective
jurisdiction.

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CULTURE plays an important role in the development

INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE

To promote and propagate understanding of Indian art,

Akademi has been organising national exhibition of

countries. To foster contacts with artists from outside, it

SANGEET NATAK AKADEMI

Asiatic Society of Bengal submitted a proposal

for the creation of a National Cultural Trust consisting of

of India, Dr Rajendra Prasad.

Sangeet Natak Akademi was reconstituted by

The Akademi has worked towards building up a unified

has a large archive of audio and video tapes, 16-mm

The Akademi's Gallery of Musical Instruments has more

classical and folk dances owe their present

SAH ITYA AKADEMI

translations, seminars, workshops, cultural exchange

Sahitya Akademi Honorary Fellowhip

Akademi confers its fellowship, its highet honour to

from 10th to 15th March, 2014.

NATIONAL SCHOOL OF DRAMA

three years duration. The eligible applicants for admission

year of India's Independence. Bharat Rang Mahotsav has

INDIRA GANDHI NATIONAL CENTRE FOR ARTS

CENTRE FOR CULTURAL RESOURCES AND

culture and making students aware of the importance of

conducts programmes on special request, by

The CCRT organises educational tours to monuments,

Over the years, CCRT has been collecting scripts,

develop their talent in various cultural fields particularly in

ZONAL CULTURAL CENTRES (ZCC)

artistes to perform at the national level.

Master craftsmen and artisans from various ZCC5

TANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE

Survey of archaeological remains and excavations;

ii) Maintenance and conservation of centrally protected

monuments, sites and remains;

y) Development of epigraphical research and

vii) Expeditions abroad;

viii) Training in Archaeology;

There are 24 Circles and 5 Regional Directorates

Underwater Archaeology Wing:

Search, study and

Underwater Archaeology Wing. lt carries out exploration

Science Branch: The Science Branch of the Survey with

Laboratories of Science Branch at Dehradun have

Horticulture Branch: The Horticulture Branch of the ASI

Epigraphy Branch: The Epigraphy Branch at Mysore

The ASI has taken up the

February 2004 in Cambodia.

NATIONAL MISSION ON MONUMENTS AND

launched on 1gth March, 2007 with a budgetary outlay of

NATIONAL MISSION FOR MANUSCRIPTS (NMM)

Gandhi National Centre for Arts (IGNCA) as the nodal

Major activities of the NMM are-documentation of

Reorganisation/Modernisation of Galleries, Educational

NATIONAL GALLERY OF MODERN ART

NATIONAL MUSEUM INSTITUTE OF HISTORY OF

Memorandum of Association, the Director General,

Museology leading to the award of M.A. and Ph.D. Degrees

NATIONAL RESEARCH LABORATORY FOR

RAMAKRISHNA MISSION INSTITUTE OF

(iii) service to man as a way of worshipping