05 Culture and Tourism (1)

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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.

In 1961, 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 a 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.


It 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.

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.

Both 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.

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. Sahitya Akademi Honorary Fellowhip 2. Anand Fellowship 3. 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 up- to-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.

lt 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.

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 monuments, antiquities, manuscripts, paintings, etc.

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 It 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 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 courses- India 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 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor

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 decision- making 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 Not- for-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 less- advantaged 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) In an 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


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 Conferences & Exhibitions (MICE) Eco-tourism Film Tourism Sustainable Tourism

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 August- September, 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.


05 Culture and Tourism (1)

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