Question : CONSERVATION OF FOLK ART AND CULTURE

(a) whether the Government has received any proposal from State Governments for preserving, protecting and promoting culture and traditional art forms of their respective States;

(b) if so, the details thereof and the status of the proposals;

(c) whether the Government has taken any steps for conservation, development and promotion of various folk cultures, traditional cultures, customs and traditions of the country;

(d) if so, the details thereof and the achievement made so far along with the funds allocated by the Government in this regard during the last three years, year-wise and State-wise;

(e) whether the Government has formulated any scheme for docu- mentation of different cultures of the country and if so, the details thereof; and

(f) whether scholarships are granted to children between 10-14 years of age for developing their talent in various cultural fields and if so, the details of scholarships granted during the last three years?

MINISTER OF STATE (I/C) FOR CULTURE AND TOURISM AND MINISTER OF STATE FOR CIVIL AVIATION (DR. MAHESH SHARMA)

(a) No, Madam.

(b) Does not arise.

(c) Yes, Madam.

(d) The Government of India has set up seven Zonal Cultural Centres (ZCCs) having their headquarters at Patiala, Udaipur, Allahabad, Kolkata, Dimapur, Nagpur and Thanjavur with the objectives to preserve, promote and disseminate the tradi- tional folk and tribal arts and culture of all the States/ Union Territories. The ZCCs endeavour to develop and promote the rich diversity and uniqueness of various arts of the Zone and to upgrade and enrich consciousness of the people about their cultural heritage. The ZCCs have been carrying out va- rious activities and organizing programmes at the national, zonal and local levels in accordance with their aims and objectives, implemented through various schemes.

Number of festivals and programmes conducted by seven Zonal Cultural Centres in all the States/ Union Territories during the last three years and the current year (as on 31st January, 2015) are as under:

 
 2011-12 1178 2012-13	1022 2013-14	907 2014-15	840 
 
 The Government provides Plan Grant-in-Aid to Zonal Cultural Centres and not to States for implementing various schemes. Grant-in-Aid provided to Zonal Cultural Centres during the last three years and in the current year (as on 11th March, 2015) is as under: 
 
	(`in Lakh) 2011-12	3760.73 2012-13	2159.15 2013-14	4246.22 2014-15	3829.55 
 
 (e) Yes, Madam. Under the scheme “Documentation of Vanishing Art Forms”, the ZCCs have been documenting various Art Forms in the form of Audio/ Video and Literature. The ZCCs have documented a total of 547 folk and tribal art forms in the form of Audio/ Video and Literature as on 31st March, 2014. 
 
 (f) Yes, Madam. Centre for Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT), under the Ministry of Culture has granted a total of 1542 scholarships during the last three years under the Cultural Talent Search Scholarship Scheme.