Schemes for promoting Tribal Culture

The various schemes being implemented to promote tribal arts, language, culture and dances were discussed in the Lok Sabha recently.

• Zonal Cultural Centres:

Zonal cultural centres (ZCC) were established by the government, under the Ministry of Culture, to increase awareness about the traditional arts and culture of the different regions. There are 7 ZCC- headquartered in Patiala, Nagpur, Udaipur, Prayagraj, Kolkata, Dimapur and Thanjavur. These centres conduct cultural programs and also implement the schemes under the ministry.

• Sahitya Akademi:

The Sahitya Akademi is an autonomous organisation under the Ministry of Culture. It is the national academy of letters founded in 1954. It is concerned with the preservation and promotion of languages- especially the tribal languages. Language conventions are organised by the academy on a regular basis for this purpose.

• National Cultural Exchange Program:

The National Cultural Exchange Program is an initiative funded by the Ministry of Culture and is considered as the ‘lifeline of ZCCs’. Under this program, artists from a zone showcase their talents in other parts of the country. This will help increase awareness about the diversity of culture and arts in India.

• Other Schemes for promoting Tribal Culture:

The Guru Shishya Parampara scheme involves the training of students under veteran artists in vanishing and rare art forms. The programs are carried out in the ‘Gurukula’ model. The Shilpgram initiative is used to promote tribal arts and crafts through seminars, workshops, etc. The Octave scheme is used to promote the cultural heritage of the north-eastern states.