Indian Culture Portal 2.0
Why In News?
The Indian Culture Portal (ICP) 2.0 is in the news because on April 2, 2026, the Union Minister for Culture and Tourism, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, provided a detailed update on its performance and technological upgrades in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.
Key Facts
- Visitor Statistics: It was reported that 1,19,684 visitors accessed museum collections on the portal between April 2025 and March 2026.
- Technological Rebuild: The portal has been completely rebuilt using a modern React-based architecture and a Drupal backend to replace the previous monolithic system. This upgrade allows it to handle large data and high traffic with significantly improved speed and responsiveness.
- Enhanced Accessibility: The portal now functions as a Progressive Web App (PWA), providing an app-like experience on smartphones and tablets without requiring a store download.
Features of Version 2.0
- Originally launched in March 2026, the 2.0 version introduced several advanced tools to "democratise access" to India's heritage:
- AI Chatbot 'Bharti': An AI-powered assistant that helps users navigate resources, summarize content, and answer queries.
- Multilingual Support: Integration with the Bhashini platform allows the portal to interact with users in 22 Indian languages.
- Immersive Content: New sections include 3D exploration of heritage sites, 360-degree virtual tours, and curated categories like "Iconic Battles of India" and "Folktales of India".
- Unified Gateway: The platform aggregates digital resources from various museums, libraries, and archives across India into a single interface.
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