Year End Review 2015: Ministry of Culture

Culture plays an important role in the development agenda of any nation. It

represents a set of shared attitudes, values, goals and practices. Culture and
creativity manifest themselves in almost all economic, social and other activities.
(https://pibindia.wordpress.com/2016/01/04/year-end-review-2015-ministry-
of-culture/) {Press Information Bureau Government of India}

The mandate of the Ministry of Culture revolves around the functions like
preservation and conservation of our cultural heritage and promotion of all
forms of art and culture, both tangible and intangible. The Ministry’s task
is to develop and sustain ways and means through which the creative and
aesthetic sensibilities of the people remain active and dynamic. The functional
spectrum of this Ministry is wide, ranging from generating cultural awareness
at grassroots level to promoting cultural exchanges at international level.

Ministry of Culture has been administering a few finance-based schemes to

identify, nurture hand-hold and train the upcoming and budding artistes on a
sustained basis. This is carried out by way of grant of scholarships, fellowships,
pensions, and other forms of grants/assistance.

With a view to reach every nook and corner throughout the length and breadth
of the country; there is a need to have data-base of such art forms and artists,
which we refer to as cultural mapping”.

16.2 ERA A worker who does not wish to work in excess of the stipulated hours on a particular day shall
notify his employer, at least 24 hours in advance, of his intention not to work on that day.
19.1) Notwithstanding any other enactment or Remuneration Regulations, where a worker is required to
perform more than 2 hours’ extra work after having completed his normal day’s work on any day of the
week, whether or not a public holiday, he shall, in addition to any remuneration due for overtime work,
be provided by the employer with an adequate free meal or be paid a meal allowance as specified in
paragraph (a) of the Third Schedule.

19.2) The meal allowance specified in subsection (1) shall be paid not later than on the last working day
of the pay period.

22.3No employer shall, in respect of the payment of remuneration, deduct any amount –
(a) by way of fine or compensation for poor or negligent work or for damage caused to the property of
the employer;

24.An employer shall pay to a worker –

(a) a full day’s remuneration where –
(i) the employer is unable to provide work to the worker; or
(ii) owing to climatic conditions, power failure, or breakdown in machinery or appliances, work has been
stopped after the worker has worked for more than 2 hours; or

26.An employer shall, where the distance between a worker’s residence and his place of work exceeds 3
km, provide the worker with free transport from the worker’s residence to his place of work and from the
worker’s place of work to his residence, or pay him the equivalent of the return bus fare.

(2A) Where an employer provides a worker with a means of transport under subsection (1), the employer
shall pay to the worker wages at the normal rate in respect of any waiting time exceeding 45 minutes after
he has stopped work.

Notwithstanding subsection (1), every worker shall be entitled to 2 days’ leave in every year, in
addition to the leave specified in –
(a) subsection (1);
(b) any other enactment;
(c) any agreement;
(d) any collective agreement; or
(e) any award following arbitration.

PRB 2016

Time Off Facilities

29.8 At present, officers of the Arts Officer and Culture Officer cadres as well as
the Theatre Superintendent are required to work regularly outside normal office
hours to organise artistic and cultural activities. These officers are compensated
by way of time off and whenever time off may not be granted due to exigencies of
service, they are paid at normal hourly rate for extra hours put in. We are, in this
Report, improving the existing provision.

Time Off Facilities

29.8 At present, officers of the Arts Officer and Culture Officer cadres as well as
the Theatre Superintendent are required to work regularly outside normal office
hours to organise artistic and cultural activities. These officers are compensated
by way of time off and whenever time off may not be granted due to exigencies of
service, they are paid at normal hourly rate for extra hours put in. We are, in this
Report, improving the existing provision.

Recommendation 2

29.9 We recommend that officers of the Arts Officer and Culture Officer cadres as
well as the Theatre Superintendent, who are required on a regular basis to put in
additional hours of work to cope with the demands of their job, should as far as
possible be granted, on application, equivalent time off within the current month
for the extra hours put in. However, where it has not been possible for
management to grant time off within a period of four consecutive months, the
officers should be compensated at the normal hourly rate, subject to their having
put in a minimum of 15 extra hours in a month.