**Executive Summary**
This document presents the Minister of Culture's response to Unstarred Question No. 242 in Lok Sabha, to be answered on February 2, 2026, regarding the integration of the One District One Product (ODOP) scheme with the 'Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar' (MGMD) initiative. The question sought details on village mapping, economic linkages, infrastructure funds, coordination between ministries, and digital registry updates. The response clarifies the scope and limitations of the MGMD initiative.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Village Mapping under MGMD:**
* A state/UT-wise distribution of the 6.23 lakh villages mapped under the MGMD initiative is in Annexure-I.
* Specific districts and the number of villages mapped:
* Samastipur (Bihar): 1,125
* Khagariya (Bihar): 262
* Sagar (Madhya Pradesh): 2,125
* Surat (Gujarat): 751
* **Integration with ODOP Scheme:**
* The MGMD initiative is currently designed as a digital repository for documenting village-level cultural heritage.
* There is no provision under the current MGMD scheme to integrate with the ODOP scheme.
* **Infrastructure Funds:**
* The MGMD program does not provide for sanctioning or allocation of infrastructure funds for rural tourism through Cultural Registries.
* **Coordination with the Ministry of Commerce:**
* The MGMD's scope under the National Mission on Cultural Mapping (NMCM) is limited to documentation and digital archiving of cultural attributes.
* It does not involve commercial activities, preventing duplication of efforts with the Ministry of Commerce.
* **Digital Registry Updates:**
* The MGMD portal allows periodic information updates via a crowdsourcing mechanism.
* Local communities and individuals can contribute relevant cultural information through the 'Contribute' feature.
* Inputs are subject to validation and moderation before being incorporated.
**Impact Analysis**
**Ministry of Culture and Tourism**
* **Impact:** The Ministry is responsible for overseeing the MGMD initiative and responding to parliamentary queries regarding its function and integration with other schemes.
* **Action Required:** Continue monitoring and maintaining the MGMD portal, ensuring data accuracy and utility, and addressing any potential areas for improvement or integration with other relevant initiatives.
**Local Communities and Rural Artisans**
* **Impact:** They are key contributors to the MGMD portal through crowdsourcing, and beneficiaries of the documented cultural heritage and tourism potential.
* **Action Required:** Actively participate in the MGMD initiative by contributing relevant cultural information to the portal, helping to ensure the registry remains current and comprehensive.
**Ministry of Commerce**
* **Impact:** The Ministry needs to be aware of the MGMD's scope to avoid duplication of efforts and to explore potential areas of collaboration for promoting village crafts.
* **Action Required:** Remain informed about the MGMD initiative and coordinate with the Ministry of Culture to identify potential synergies for promoting rural artisan products and cultural heritage tourism.
Key Entities Referenced
Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar (MGMD): A government initiative to map and document villages, focusing on cultural heritage.
One District One Product (ODOP): A scheme aimed at promoting economic linkages and monetary benefits for rural artisans through district-specific products.
Ministry of Culture: The primary ministry responsible for the MGMD initiative and cultural promotion efforts mentioned in the policy.
National Mission on Cultural Mapping (NMCM): A mission focused on documenting and digitally archiving the cultural attributes of villages. MGMD operates under this mission.
Bihar: One of the primary states impacted as per the document.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF CULTURE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 242
TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.02.2026
INTEGRATION OF ODOP SCHEME WITH MGMD INITIATIVE
242. SMT. SHAMBHAVI:
SHRI RAJESH VERMA:
DR. LATA WANKHEDE:
SHRI MUKESHKUMAR CHANDRAKAANT DALAL:
Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state:-
(a) the details of the 6.23 lakh villages reportedly mapped under the 'Mera
Gaon Meri Dharohar' (MGMD) initiative as of this year in the country,
State/UT-wise, particularly in Samastipur, Khagariya, Sagar and Surat
Lok Sabha Constituencies;
(b) the details of the specific economic linkages established by integrating the
MGMD database with the 'One District One Product' (ODOP) scheme to
ensure monetary benefits for rural artisans;
(c) the details of the actual infrastructure funds sanctioned for rural tourism in
districts like Samastipur, Khagariya, Sagar and Surat on the newly created
'Cultural Registries';
(d) the details of the steps taken to prevent duplication of efforts and ensure
coordination between the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of
Commerce regarding the promotion of identical village crafts; and
(e) whether the Government has formulated a protocol for the periodic updation
of this digital registry to prevent the data from becoming obsolete, if so, the
details thereof?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF CULTURE AND TOURISM
(SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)
(a) The State/UT-wise distribution of mapped villages is placed at Annexure-I.
The number of villages mapped in the concerned districts is as under:
Samastipur (Bihar) – 1,125
Khagariya (Bihar) – 262
Sagar (Madhya Pradesh) – 2,125
Surat (Gujarat) – 751(b) At present, the MGMD initiative is designed as a digital repository for
documenting village-level tangible and intangible cultural heritage. There is
no such provision under the scheme for integration of the MGMD database
with the One District One Product (ODOP) scheme.
(c) The MGMD programme does not provide for sanctioning or allocation of
infrastructure funds for rural tourism through Cultural Registries.
(d) The scope of MGMD under the National Mission on Cultural Mapping
(NMCM) is limited to documentation and digital archiving of the cultural
attributes of villages. As such, it does not involve commercial activities and,
therefore, does not lead to duplication of efforts with initiatives of the Ministry
of Commerce.
(e) The MGMD portal provides for periodic updation of information through a
crowdsourcing-based mechanism. Local communities and individuals may
contribute relevant cultural information through the ‘Contribute’ feature on the
portal. Such inputs are subject to validation and moderation before being
incorporated into the portal.
*******ANNEXURE-I
Annexure referred to in reply to part (a) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 242 asked
on 02nd February, 2026 regarding ‘Integration of ODOP Scheme with MGMD Initiative'
State/UT Number of Uploaded Villages
Andaman and Nicobar Islands 176
Andhra Pradesh 17142
Arunachal Pradesh 4613
Assam 26074
Bihar 39563
Chandigarh 12
Chhattisgarh 19571
Delhi 252
Goa 431
Gujarat 19271
Haryana 7579
Himachal Pradesh 18735
Jammu & Kashmir 6926
Jharkhand 29908
Karnataka 29569
Kerala 1275
Ladakh 238
Lakshadweep Islands 13
Madhya Pradesh 56429
Maharashtra 40042
Manipur 306
Meghalaya 7012
Mizoram 1026
Nagaland 1498
Odisha 47209
Puducherry 127
Punjab 12084
Rajasthan 46696
Sikkim 464
Tamil Nadu 19219
Telangana 9824
The Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu 107
Tripura 899
Uttar Pradesh 103003
Uttarakhand 15727
West Bengal 40429