Question : VANISHING TRIBAL ARTS

(a) whether the Government has taken note of the vanishing arts of various tribes in the country;

(b) if so, the reaction of the Government thereto;

(c) whether the Government has made any comprehensive plan to preserve and popularise these arts;

(d) if so, the details thereof;

(e) whether the Government has any plan for registration of relevant Intellectual Property Rights for the purpose; and

(f) if so, the details thereof and the time by which such plan is likely to be implemented and if not, the reasons therefor?

MINISTER OF CULTURE (SHRIMATI CHANDRESH KUMARI KATOCH)

(a) to (d): With rapid urbanisation, preservation of folk and tribal art & culture is a major challenge in the country. To meet this challenge, the Government has set up seven Zonal Cultural Centres (ZCCs) having their headquarters at Patiala, Udaipur, Allahabad, Kolkata, Dimapur, Nagpur and Thanjavur.

2. The main objectives of the ZCCs are the preservation, promotion and dissemination of the traditional folk arts and culture of the various States/ Union Territories. The ZCCs endeavor 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 various activities and organizing programmes at the national, zonal and local levels in accordance with their aims and objectives, achieved through the various schemes which inter-alia include documentation of vanishing Art Forms.

(e)& (f): There is no plan in the Ministry of Culture for registration of these arts under Intellectual Property Rights. Further, Section 38 & 38A of the Copyright Act, 1957 of Ministry of Human Resource Development provides exclusive rights to protect performances of performers. The performances of Tribals can be registered in the Copyright Office as per Section 45 of the Act.