**Executive Summary**
The document summarizes the Government's response to Unstarred Question No. 1169 regarding the "Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar" (MGMD) Programme, set to be answered on December 8, 2025. The MGMD program aims to culturally map villages across India. The document details the scheme's implementation, scope, and progress, including specifics about villages mapped in Bihar and Odisha.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **MGMD Programme Implementation:**
* The Government is implementing the "Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar" (MGMD) programme across the nation.
* The scheme has been launched in the West Champaran district of Bihar, and details of all 1237 villages have been mapped and uploaded on the MGMD Portal.
* **Cultural Mapping Scope:**
* 6,38,365 villages have been identified for cultural mapping across the country under the MGMD Programme.
* Details of 6,23,449 villages have been uploaded on the MGMD Portal.
* **Documentation Details:**
* MGMD covers a wide range of cultural elements, both tangible and intangible.
* These include oral traditions, beliefs, customs, historical significance, art forms, heritage sites, traditional food, prominent artists, fairs and festivals, traditional dress, ornaments, and local landmarks.
* **Programme Objectives:**
* The MGMD Programme aims to strengthen rural identity by creating authentic, village-level cultural profiles.
* It promotes community participation through community-led documentation and crowd-sourced validation via the MGMD Portal.
* The program supports planning for cultural cluster development, heritage tourism, promotion of traditional skills, sustainable livelihood generation and rural economic development.
* **Odisha Implementation:**
* The Ministry of Culture has undertaken cultural mapping of villages in Odisha.
* 47,209 villages have been mapped so far.
* Details of all 998 villages of Bhadrak district have been mapped and uploaded on the MGMD Portal.
* Details of all 2,798 villages of Balasore district have also been mapped and uploaded on the MGMD Portal.
**Impact Analysis**
**Villagers/Rural Communities**
* **Impact:** Strengthens rural identity, promotes community participation, potentially leads to economic development and sustainable livelihoods.
* **Action Required:** Participate in community-led documentation and validation processes through the MGMD Portal.
**Ministry of Culture**
* **Impact:** Responsible for the implementation and monitoring of the MGMD Programme.
* **Action Required:** Continue cultural mapping across the country, focusing on villages identified, and maintain the MGMD Portal.
**State Governments (Bihar and Odisha)**
* **Impact:** Facilitate the cultural mapping process and support the MGMD program at the local level.
* **Action Required:** Support the Ministry of Culture in continuing cultural mapping and uploading the data on the MGMD portal.
Key Entities Referenced
Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar (MGMD) Programme: A programme for cultural mapping of villages across the country to strengthen rural identity, promote community participation, and support local economic development.
Ministry of Culture: The ministry responsible for implementing the Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar (MGMD) Programme.
Odisha: State where additional villages, particularly in Bhadrak and Balasore districts, are being considered for cultural mapping under the MGMD programme.
Bihar: State where the MGMD scheme has been launched in West Champaran district.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF CULTURE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 1169
TO BE ANSWERED ON 08.12.2025
‘MERA GAON MERI DHAROHAR’ PROGRAMME
1169. SHRI SHASHANK MANI:
SMT. ANITA SUBHADARSHINI:
SHRI RAJESH NARANBHAI CHUDASAMA:
SHRI SUNIL KUMAR:
SHRI MAHESH KASHYAP:
SHRI AVIMANYU SETHI:
SHRI HASMUKHBHAI SOMABHAI PATEL:
SHRI MITESH PATEL BAKABHAI:
SHRI DARSHAN SINGH CHOUDHARY:
Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government is implementing "Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar"
(MGMD) programme across the nation;
(b) if so, whether this scheme has been launched in West Champaran district of
Bihar in view of many cultural heritage which requires uploading on MGMD portal;
(c) the total number of villages targeted for cultural mapping across the country
under the 'Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar' (MGMD) Programme and the number of
villages for which data has been uploaded on the MGMD web portal so far;
(d) the types of cultural elements and heritage components being documented
under the initiative;
(e) the details in which this programme is expected to strengthen rural identity,
promote community participation and support local economic development; and
(f) whether the Government proposes to take up cultural mapping of additional
villages in Odisha, particularly in Bhadrak and Balasore districts, and if so, the details
of progress made and the expected timeline for completion?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF CULTURE AND TOURISM
(SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)
(a) Yes sir.
(b) Yes Sir, details of all 1237 Villages of the West Champaran district of Bihar
have been mapped and uploaded on the MGMD Portal.(c) Under the Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar (MGMD) Programme, 6,38,365 villages
have been identified for cultural mapping across the country. Out of these, details of
6,23,449 villages have been uploaded on the MGMD Portal so far.
(d) As part of its documentation activities, MGMD, covers a wide range of
cultural elements, both tangible and intangible, including oral traditions, beliefs,
customs, historical significance, art forms, heritage sites, traditional food, prominent
artists, fairs and festivals, traditional dress, ornaments and local landmarks.
(e) The MGMD Programme leads to strengthening of rural identity by creating
authentic, village-level cultural profiles that recognise local traditions, practices and
heritage assets. It promotes community participation by enabling community-led
documentation and crowd-sourced validation through the MGMD Portal. The
availability of structured cultural data on a single national portal supports planning for
cultural cluster development, heritage tourism and the promotion of traditional skills,
thereby contributing to sustainable livelihood generation and rural economic
development.
(f) Under the MGMD Programme, the Ministry of Culture has undertaken
cultural mapping of villages in Odisha, under which 47,209 villages have been
mapped so far. Details of all 998 villages of Bhadrak district have been mapped and
uploaded on the MGMD Portal. Similarly, details of all 2,798 villages of Balasore
district have been mapped and uploaded on the MGMD portal.
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