UNDER MUSEUM GRANT SCHEME
Why In News?
The Union Minister for Culture and Tourism, provided a comprehensive written reply in the Lok Sabha detailing the budget allocation and fund utilization under the scheme for the last five financial years.
About
- Operational Streamlining: The government recently highlighted that procedural aspects have been streamlined to encourage more organizations to apply, with physical inspections now mandatory before the release of final installments to ensure accountability.
- State Performance: Recent reports identified the top-performing states receiving maximum grants, including Mizoram, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, and Nagaland.
- Digital Milestone: The Ministry recently announced that over 1.2 lakh museum artifacts have been digitized and made available online via the Museums of India Portal under the scheme's digitization component.
Primary Objective:
- To provide financial support for setting up new museums and strengthening existing ones at the regional, state, and district levels.
Core Components:
- Establishment & Development: Funding for new district and regional museums.
- Digitization: Financial aid to create digital catalogues and high-resolution images of artifacts.
- Capacity Building: Training and professional development for museum personnel.
- Virtual Museums: Creation of Virtual Experiential Museums (VEM) and projects of national importance.
Financial Assistance Structure:
- Standard Projects: The Central Government typically provides up to 80% of the total project cost.
- North-Eastern Region & Sikkim: Enhanced support is provided, covering up to 90% of the total project cost.
- Funding Caps: Assistance is capped at ₹15 crore for Category-I (State-level) museums and ₹10 crore for new museums in other categories.
- Eligible Entities: The scheme covers museums managed by the Central/State Governments, autonomous bodies, local bodies, public sector undertakings, and registered NGOs/Trusts.
- Technology Integration: Encourages the use of JATAN software (developed by C-DAC) for standardized digital archiving of museum collections.
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