Question : Funds Spent in Kerala under National Culture Fund

(a) whether the Government has set up National Culture Fund (NCF) and if so, the details along with the composition thereof and the guidelines for fund allocation;

(b) the aims and objectives of the NCF and the extent to which it has been successful/helpful in protecting, promoting and preserving the cultural heritage of the country;

(c) the funds spent so far in the state of Kerala since its inception along with the funds allocated and expenditure incurred there from by various institutions / departments during the last two years and the details of the unspent funds and the reasons for the same; and

(d) whether the Government will take initiative to restart Kochi - Muziris biennale and if so, the details thereof and if not, the ingredients of an application seeking fund allocation from NCF and the steps for the
allotment of funds?

MINISTER OF CULTURE, TOURISM AND DEVELOPMENT OF NORTH EASTERN REGION

(SHRI G. KISHAN REDDY)

(a) The Government of India has set up National Culture Fund (NCF) as a Trust under the Charitable Endowment Act, 1890 through a Gazette Notification published in the Gazette of India on 28th November, 1996. NCF is managed by a (Governing) Council and an Executive Committee. The Council is chaired by the Union Minister of Culture and has a maximum strength of 24, representing various fields including corporate sector, private foundations and not-for-profit voluntary organizations.
NCF does not receive yearly funds from the Ministry. Instead, there is a corpus fund released to it till 2009 amounting to Rs. 19.5 crores. Administrative expenses of NCF are met from the interest earned on the corpus fund and service charge levied on the projects. The Fund enables institutions and individuals to support arts and culture directly as partners with government and serves as a funding mechanism distinct from the existing sources and patterns of funding for the arts and culture in India.

(b) The aim of National Culture Fund (NCF) is to establish and nurture partnerships in the field of Culture and Heritage between private and public sectors, government, non-government agencies, private institutions and foundations and mobilize resources for the restoration, conservation, protection and development of India’s rich, natural, tangible and intangible heritage.

The following are some of the major objectives of NCF:

i) to administer and apply the Fund for conservation, maintenance, promotion, protection, preservation and up gradation of monuments protected or otherwise;
ii) for the training and development of a cadre of specialists and cultural administrators
iii) for innovations and experiments in arts
iv) for documentation of cultural expressions and forms that have lost their relevance in contemporary scenario and are either fading out or facing extinction.

The National Culture Fund has so far completed 48 projects and 33 are ongoing which have been helpful in protecting, promoting and preserving the cultural heritage of the country.

(c) The details of projects completed in the state of Kerala since the inception of NCF are annexed as Annexure.

(d) NCF was involved in a project with Kochi Biennal Foundation for the printing costs of the ‘Kochi Muziris Biennale 2012 Catalogue’ funded by Nirlon Foundation Trust. No proposal seeking fund allocation for restart of Kochi-Muziris biennale is under consideration.

Annexure

Annexure referred in part (c) of Lok Sabha unstarred Question No.3408 for Reply on 09.08.2021 regarding Funds Spent in Kerala under National Culture Fund

The details of projects completed in the state of Kerala since the inception of NCF are:

S.
No. Project and Donor Year Amount (Rs. in lakhs) Expenditure (Rs. In lakhs) Unspent
1. Synagogue Clock Tower, Cochin, Kerala (World Monument Fund) 2001 15.51 15.51 -
2. Natanakairali (National Culture Fund) 2013 10.00 10.00 -
3. Kochi Muziris Biennale 2012 Catalogue (Nirlon Foundation) 2014 18.58 18.58 -