Indian Culture Portal – Version 2.0
Why in News?
The Ministry of Culture on 10 August highlighted the upgraded Indian Culture Portal (ICP) Version 2.0 in Parliament, emphasising its role in expanding digital access to India’s cultural heritage and the integration of cultural institutions across States/UTs.
About Indian Culture Portal
- Indian Culture Portal (ICP) is a national digital platform providing a single-window access to India’s cultural heritage, including museums, libraries, archives, monuments, manuscripts, artworks and other cultural resources.
- The original portal was launched in December 2019 to democratise access to India's history, literature, arts, traditions and heritage. Version 2.0 was launched in March 2026 by Culture Secretary Vivek Aggarwal at Kartavya Bhawan, New Delhi.
Key Features of Version 2.0
- Modern Architecture: Uses a React-based frontend and Drupal 10 backend, making the platform more scalable, secure and responsive.
- AI-enabled “Bharti”: An AI-powered chatbot assists users in content discovery, intelligent search and multilingual interaction.
- 22 Indian Languages: Integration with BHASHINI enables multilingual access and interaction across 22 Indian languages.
- Progressive Web Application: The portal works across desktops, tablets and smartphones without requiring a conventional app installation.
- Immersive Heritage Experience: Provides 3D walkthroughs and 360-degree virtual tours of cultural and heritage sites.
- Advanced Search: Metadata-based search, filtering and improved navigation allow researchers and students to locate digitised cultural resources more efficiently.
- Institutional Integration: Museums, archives, libraries and other cultural institutions can contribute resources through APIs and standardised metadata exchange.
Significance
- Digital Preservation: Helps preserve fragile manuscripts, artworks, photographs and other cultural resources in digital form.
- Cultural Democratisation: Makes India's tangible and intangible heritage accessible to students, researchers and citizens worldwide.
- Technological Integration: Demonstrates the application of AI, multilingual technology, APIs and immersive technologies in cultural preservation.
- Cultural Diplomacy: Wider global access to Indian heritage can strengthen India's soft power and civilisational outreach.
