**Executive Summary**
This document presents the Minister of Culture's responses to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1420, concerning initiatives under the National Mission on Cultural Mapping (NMCM). The report details the progress of the Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar (MGMD) Programme, a key NMCM component focused on creating a nationwide digital repository of cultural heritage. The response addresses financial support for artists, preservation through Intellectual Property Rights, and challenges in preserving the heritage of the North-Eastern States. The question was to be answered on 09.02.2026.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar (MGMD) Programme:**
* A key component of NMCM.
* Developed as a nationwide digital repository to map tangible and intangible cultural heritage at the village level across States/UTs.
* The MGMD Portal documents a wide range of cultural elements, including heritage sites, art forms, prominent artists, oral traditions, beliefs and customs, historical significance, local landmarks, fairs and festivals, traditional dress, ornaments and traditional food.
* A key challenge faced by the Mission was the sheer scale and complexity involved in documenting the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of more than six lakh villages across India.
* **Financial Assistance to Artists:**
* NMCM does not have any provision for direct financial assistance to traditional artists and cultural practitioners; it undertakes documentation activities.
* **Intellectual Property Rights (IPR):**
* There is no such provision under NMCM.
* **North-Eastern States:**
* Despite the challenges posed by difficult terrain and remoteness, the rich intangible cultural heritage of the North-Eastern States has been successfully documented.
**Impact Analysis**
**Ministry of Culture and Tourism**
* **Impact:**
* Required to oversee and report on the progress and challenges of the NMCM and MGMD programs.
* Continue documentation of tangible and intangible cultural heritage.
* **Action Required:**
* Continue the MGMD program.
* Address challenges related to the scale and complexity of documenting cultural heritage across India.
* Continue successful documentation in the North-Eastern states.
**Traditional Artists and Cultural Practitioners**
* **Impact:**
* While their work is being documented and preserved through NMCM, they do not receive direct financial assistance from the program.
* **Action Required:**
* No direct action required, but they can potentially benefit from increased visibility and preservation of their cultural heritage through the NMCM initiatives.
**Citizens of India**
* **Impact:**
* Benefit from the preservation and promotion of India's cultural heritage through the digital repository created by the MGMD program.
* **Action Required:**
* No direct action required, but citizens can access the MGMD portal to learn about and appreciate India's cultural heritage.
Key Entities Referenced
National Mission on Cultural Mapping (NMCM): A nationwide initiative to document and digitize tangible and intangible cultural heritage.
Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar (MGMD) Programme: A key component of the National Mission on Cultural Mapping focused on creating a digital repository of cultural heritage at the village level across India.
Ministry of Culture: The government body responsible for initiatives related to cultural mapping.
North-Eastern States: A region of India specifically mentioned in relation to challenges in preserving intangible cultural heritage.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF CULTURE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 1420
TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.02.2026
INITIATIVES UNDER NMCM
1420. SHRI PRADYUT BORDOLOI:
Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state:-
(a) the details of the initiatives taken under the National Mission on Cultural
Mapping (NMCM), including the measures for comprehensive
documentation and digitisation of intangible cultural heritage across
regions and the challenges faced under each initiative;
(b) whether any financial support is being provided to traditional artists and
cultural practitioners under NMCM and if so, the details thereof including
the funds allocated, disbursed, the number of artists supported, the process
and criteria for choosing the artists to support them;
(c) whether the Government has taken any initiative to preserve the heritage
through Intellectual Property Rights and if so, the details thereof including
the Intellectual Property Rights guaranteed so far and if not, the reasons
therefor; and
(d) whether the Government has identified any challenges in preserving the
rich intangible cultural heritage of the North-Eastern States and if so, the
details thereof including the challenges identified and the steps taken?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF CULTURE AND TOURISM
(SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)
(a) The Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar (MGMD) Programme is a key component
under the National Mission on Cultural Mapping (NMCM), which has been
developed as a nationwide digital repository to map tangible and intangible
cultural heritage at the village level across States/UTs. The MGMD Portal
documents a wide range of cultural elements, including heritage sites, art
forms, prominent artists, oral traditions, beliefs and customs, historical
significance, local landmarks, fairs and festivals, traditional dress, ornaments
and traditional food. One of the key challenges faced by the Mission was the
sheer scale and complexity involved in documenting the tangible and
intangible cultural heritage of more than six lakh villages across India.(b) NMCM undertakes documentation activities and does not have any
provision for direct financial assistance to traditional artists and cultural
practitioners.
(c) There is no such provision under NMCM.
(d) Despite the challenges posed by difficult terrain and remoteness, the rich
intangible cultural heritage of the North-Eastern States has been successfully
documented.
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