**Executive Summary**
This report details the Ministry of Culture’s initiatives to strengthen global cultural and civilizational ties as presented in a Lok Sabha reply on March 30, 2026. It highlights key programs such as the "Gyan Bharatam" manuscript project, the Global Engagement Scheme, and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) scholarship programs. The document outlines the ongoing administration of grants and the digitization of Indian heritage to foster international cooperation and research.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**International Cultural Cooperation**
* Strengthening of bilateral ties through Cultural Agreements, Exchange Programmes, and Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs).
* Active participation in multilateral forums including G20, BRICS, SCO, and SAARC.
* Implementation of the Global Engagement Scheme to organize Festivals of India abroad and provide grants-in-aid to Indo-Foreign Friendship Cultural Societies via Indian Missions.
**The "Gyan Bharatam" Movement**
* Launched as a national movement to rediscover, conserve, and digitize manuscripts.
* Establishment of a National Digital Repository (NDR) to serve as a living source of knowledge.
* Focuses on systematic survey, documentation, scientific conservation, and publication to ensure accessibility for research and public engagement.
**Academic and Artistic Exchange (ICCR)**
* Deployment of Chairs of Indian Studies at foreign universities to promote Indian civilization among global youth.
* Sponsorship of 210 cultural troupes in various art forms to different countries over the last three years.
* Granting of over 4,000 annual scholarships to foreign students from 192 countries for undergraduate, postgraduate, and Ph.D. studies in India, including specialized fields like Yoga and Ayurveda.
**Global Heritage Preservation**
* Collaboration with the UNESCO Memory of the World Programme to safeguard documentary heritage like rare books and archives.
* Recent inscriptions of the Bhagavad Gita and Natyashastra under UNESCO's documentary heritage efforts to encourage international cooperation.
**Impact Analysis**
**Ministry of Culture and ICCR**
**Impact**
These bodies act as the primary facilitators for India's soft power, managing the digitization of heritage and the execution of international cultural exchange.
**Action Required**
Must continue to administer the Global Engagement Scheme, maintain the National Digital Repository, and manage scholarship distribution.
**Foreign Students and Academic Institutions**
**Impact**
Foreign students gain access to specialized education in India through 21 different scholarship schemes, while foreign universities benefit from Indian study chairs.
**Action Required**
Eligible students and institutions must engage with the 4,000+ scholarship opportunities and collaborative academic programs offered annually.
**Indian Missions Abroad**
**Impact**
Missions serve as the local facilitators for organizing Festivals of India and distributing financial aid to friendship societies.
**Action Required**
Responsible for coordinating with local Indo-Foreign Friendship Cultural Societies and identifying opportunities for cultural deployment.
**Researchers and Educators**
**Impact**
They gain centralized, digital access to India’s manuscript heritage, fostering new opportunities for research and education.
**Action Required**
Utilize the National Digital Repository for academic research and public engagement initiatives.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Culture: The primary government body responsible for promoting Indian arts and culture globally and administering international cultural cooperation initiatives.
Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR): An organization under the Ministry of External Affairs that promotes Indian culture worldwide through cultural centers, international scholarships, and troupes.
Gyan Bharatam: A national movement launched to rediscover, conserve, digitize, and share India's manuscript heritage through a National Digital Repository (NDR).
Global Engagement Scheme: A scheme administered by the Ministry of Culture to organize Festivals of India abroad and provide grants-in-aid to Indo-Foreign friendship cultural societies.
UNESCO Memory of the World Programme: An international initiative to preserve and promote documentary heritage of global significance, including India’s Bhagavad Gita and Natyashastra.
Ministry of Culture
INITIATIVES FOR STRENGTHENING CULTURAL
AND CIVILIZATIONAL TIES WITH COUNTRIES
Posted On: 30 MAR 2026 1:10PM by PIB Delhi
Ministry of Culture promotes Indian Arts and Culture globally for strengthening cultural ties with foreign
countries through signing of Cultural Agreements, Cultural Exchange Programme, Memorandum of
Understanding on Cultural Cooperation etc., Organization and participation in multilateral Cultural fora
like G20, BRICS, SCO, SAARC etc. This Ministry also administered Global Engagement Scheme under
which Festivals of India abroad are organized and Grants in aid is given to Indo-Foreign Friendship
Cultural Societies abroad through Indian Missions.
Further, Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), an organization under Ministry of external Affairs
(MEA) also promotes Indian Culture worldwide through its Cultural Centres abroad.
The Ministry of Culture, Government of India has launched “Gyan Bharatam” a national movement to
rediscover, conserve, digitize, and share manuscripts in the National Digital Repository as living sources
of knowledge for generations to come. The vision of this initiative is to safeguard and revitalize India’s
Manuscript Heritage through systematic survey and documentation, scientific conservation, digitization,
and publication, along with the creation of a national digital repository (NDR), ensuring its accessibility
for research, education, and public engagement.
ICCR undertake collaborative programmes with other countries. It deploys Chairs of Indian studies at the
foreign universities in consultation with the Missions/ Posts abroad. These Chairs of Indian Studies
promotes the study of Indian Civilization among foreign youth and foster a deeper appreciation of India’s
cultural heritage while also forging global academic, intellectual and cultural links. During the last 3 years,
ICCR has sponsored 210 cultural troupes in different art forms to various countries. ICCR grants more
than 4000 scholarships under 21 different schemes to foreign students from 192 countries every year for
Under-Graduate, Post-Graduate and Ph.D. level studies in India, including in Yoga and Ayurveda.
The UNESCO Memory of the World Programme aims to preserve and promote documentary heritage of
global significance, including manuscripts, archives, rare books, audio-visual materials and other records
of historical value. It also encourages international cooperation and shared efforts in safeguarding such
heritage, as reflected in recent India’s inscriptions such as the Bhagavad Gita and Natyashastra.
The initiatives undertaken by Ministry of Culture and ICCR helps to promote mutual understanding
strengthen bilateral ties with other countries and deepen global cultural engagement.
This information was given by Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in
a written reply in Lok Sabha today
***
M Annadurai
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