**Executive Summary**
The Ministry of Culture is continuously modernizing Indian museums by improving galleries, visitor amenities, and digital collections. The digital archiving of artifacts from major museums is available online, accessible at https://museumsofindia.gov.in. Museum Grant Scheme guidelines were revised in November 2021, adding Virtual Experiential Museums (VEM) and Projects of National Importance.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Museum Modernization:**
* Ongoing modernization efforts include National Museum, Indian Museum, and other major museums.
* Improvements encompass gallery reorganization, lighting, display systems, visitor amenities (e.g., online ticketing), souvenir shops, conservation facilities, and interactive exhibitions.
* **Digital Archiving:**
* Artifacts/rare manuscripts, artworks, and antiquities from major museums have been digitally archived and made accessible online.
* Digitized collections are available at https://museumsofindia.gov.in (see Annexure-I).
* **Museum Grant Scheme:**
* Funds are provided to various entities including government-owned museums, societies, autonomous bodies, academic institutions, and registered trusts.
* The scheme supports establishment/development of museums at regional, state, and district levels.
* Revised guidelines (November 2021) include Virtual Experiential Museums (VEM) and Projects of National Importance.
* **Annexure-I: Digitized Collections (Partial List)**
* Provides a list of museums and the number/percentage of artifacts available on their websites
* National Museum: 109721 of 206169 (53.22%)
* Indian Museum: 80240 of 108000 (74.30%)
* Victoria Memorial Hall: 28127 of 28394 (99.06%)
* Salar Jung Museum: 48367 of 48367 (100.00%)
* Allahabad Museum: 63125 of 70121 (90.02%)
* NGMA, New Delhi: 12814 of 15929 (80.44%)
* NGMA, Mumbai: 1461 of 1457 (100.27%)
* NGMA, Bengaluru: 534 of 534 (100.00%)
* ASI Goa Museum: 702 of 729 (96.30%)
* ASI, Nagarjunakonda Museum.: 8450 of 8453 (99.96%)
* Total: 353541 of 488153 (72.42%)
**Impact Analysis**
**Museums (National Museum, Indian Museum, and other major museums)**
* **Impact:** Museums are expected to continue upgrading their facilities and digitizing their collections.
* **Action Required:** Continue improving infrastructure, visitor experience and digitizing artifacts and manuscripts, and provide these assets to the public online.
**Central/State Governments, Societies, Autonomous Bodies, Local Bodies, Academic Institutions, Public Sector Undertakings, and Trusts**
* **Impact:** Eligible entities can receive funding for establishing or developing museums.
* **Action Required:** Review the revised Museum Grant Scheme guidelines (including VEM and Projects of National Importance) and apply for funding to support museum-related projects.
**Public / Visitors**
* **Impact:** Increased access to digitized museum collections and improved visitor experiences.
* **Action Required:** Visit the website (https://museumsofindia.gov.in) to explore the digitized collections and visit the museums to experience the upgraded facilities.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Culture: The central ministry overseeing the modernization and digitization of Indian museums.
Museum Grant Scheme: A funding program by the Ministry of Culture to support the establishment and development of museums.
National Museum: A major Indian museum undergoing modernization and digitization.
Indian Museum: A major Indian museum undergoing modernization and digitization.
Ministry of Culture
MODERNIZATION OF INDIAN MUSEUMS AND
DIGITAL COLLECTIONS
प्रव तथ: 29 JAN 2026 3:01PM by PIB Delhi
Modernization of National Museum, the Indian Museum and other major museums is an ongoing process.
Museums under the administrative control of Ministry of Culture are constantly upgrading their galleries
through reorganization along with improvements in lighting, display systems and visitors amenities like
online ticketing, diversifying offering at Souvenir shops, development of conservation facilities,
improving accessibility and interactive exhibitions for visitors engagement.
The digital archiving of the artefacts/rare manuscripts, artworks and antiquities preserved in the museums
have been made online of the major museums which are available at https://museumsofindia.gov.in and
attached as Annexure-I.
Under the Museum Grant Scheme, funds are given to Central/State Governments owned museums,
museums owned by Societies, Autonomous Bodies, Local Bodies, Academic Institutions, Public Sector
Undertakings and Trusts registered under Societies Registration Act, 1860 for establishment/development
of new/existing museums at the Regional, State and District
To facilitate for better utilization of funds under the scheme guidelines of Museum Grant Scheme were
revised in November, 2021 and two new components viz. Virtual Experiential Museums (VEM) and
Projects of National importance have been added in the scheme.
This information was given by Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in
a written reply in Rajya Sabha today
*****
M Annadurai
ANNEXURE-I
Digitized collections available on the website
S. Name of Museum Total Number of Available on % Available
artefacts in the website on the website
no.
Museum
1 National Museum 206169 109721 53.22
2 Indian Museum 108000 80240 74.303 Victoria Memorial Hall 28394 28127 99.06
4 Salar Jung Museum 48367 48367 100.00
5 Allahabad Museum 70121 63125 90.02
6 NGMA, New Delhi 15929 12814 80.44
7 NGMA, Mumbai 1457 1461 100.27
8 NGMA, Bengaluru 534 534 100.00
9 ASI Goa Museum 729 702 96.30
10 ASI, Nagarjunakonda 8453 8450 99.96
Museum.
Total 488153 353541 72.42
*****
(रलीज़ आईडी: 2220053) आगंतुक पटल : 187
इस वज्ञ को इन भाषाओ ंम पढ़: ही