(a) whether a Committee under the Chairmanship of Shri U.R.Ananthamurthy had submitted a report on the Zonal Cultural Centres;
(b) if so, the details of the recommendations made therein;
(c) the recommendations of the Committee which have been accepted; and
(d) the steps being taken to bring the programme of work in line with the original objectives of the Zonal Cultural Centres as set out in the testimony annexed to the report?
MINISTER OF CULTURE
(SHRI ANANTH KUMAR)
(a) Yes, Sir. The Committee has submitted its report in January 1997
(b) The major recommendations of the Committee pertained to
(1) Changing the focus of the programme activities of the ZCCs so as to give more emphasis to folk and tribal art forms, documentation, identification of young practioners of the arts and networking with the various Akademies;
(2) Restructuring the various governing bodies and creation of a common Apex Body for all the ZCCs.
(c) After discussions with the Chairpersons of the ZCCs most of the recommendations relating to programme activities were accepted. It was however decided to continue with the present administrative structure.
(d) Efforts have been made to increase networking and collaborative ventures between the ZCCs, State Governments and the Akademies, exchange of artists between the Zones under the National Cultural Exchange Programme and providing additional grants for increasing documentation activities. These efforts are reflected in a shift of the programme activities of the ZCCs on the lines recommended by the Ananthamurthy Committee.