Executive Summary:
This document presents the Ministry of Culture's response to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 2317 regarding the "Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar" (MGMD) scheme. It details the progress of village identification and documentation, particularly in Tamil Nadu, and addresses the inclusion of Tamil Nadu's unique cultural aspects, proposals from the state, community involvement, and promotional plans. The answer was provided on August 4, 2025, by the Minister of Culture and Tourism, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.
Key Points / Main Content:
* **Village Identification and Documentation:**
* Approximately 6.5 lakh villages have been identified across India under the MGMD scheme.
* Data for around 4.7 lakh villages have been uploaded on the MGMD portal.
* In Tamil Nadu, data for 14,251 out of 19,219 villages have been mapped and uploaded.
* State-wise and district-wise details for Tamil Nadu are available in Annexure I and Annexure II, respectively.
* **Inclusion of Tamil Nadu's Cultural Aspects:**
* The MGMD program considers the unique linguistic, cultural, and heritage practices of each village, including those of Tamil Nadu, such as Siddha medicine and local art forms.
* **Proposals from Tamil Nadu:**
* No proposals from the Government of Tamil Nadu or local bodies have been submitted for inclusion under MGMD.
* **Community Involvement:**
* Local communities can participate in documentation and preservation through a crowdsourcing option on the MGMD portal.
* Villagers are encouraged to submit and validate cultural information related to their villages.
* No economic or skill development benefits have been extended to the villagers under this initiative.
* **Promotion of Heritage Villages:**
* The Government plans to promote heritage villages through cultural tourism, digital platforms, and educational initiatives.
* These initiatives include encouraging participation in cultural events, showcasing traditional art forms, and creating awareness through digital and educational outreach.
* There is no specific initiative exclusively for the villages of Tamil Nadu.
Impact Analysis:
* **Central Government (Ministry of Culture and Tourism):**
* *Impact:* Responsible for the overall implementation, monitoring, and promotion of the MGMD scheme across India.
* *Action Required:* Continue to oversee the MGMD scheme, analyze the data collected, and implement promotional strategies for heritage villages.
* **State Government of Tamil Nadu & Local Bodies:**
* *Impact:* Responsible for enabling and supporting village documentation and potentially benefiting from tourism and educational initiatives.
* *Action Required:* Although no proposals have been submitted, the Government of Tamil Nadu can submit proposals for inclusion under MGMD scheme. To encourage local communities to participate in the crowdsourcing option on the MGMD Portal.
* **Local Communities:**
* *Impact:* Have the opportunity to actively participate in the documentation and preservation of their cultural heritage.
* *Action Required:* Utilize the crowdsourcing option on the MGMD Portal to submit and validate cultural information related to their villages.
* **General Public:**
* *Impact:* Will benefit from increased awareness and access to information about India's diverse cultural heritage through digital platforms, tourism, and educational initiatives.
* *Action Required:* Engage with the digital platforms and tourism initiatives to learn about and appreciate the cultural heritage of Indian villages.
Key Entities Referenced
Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar Scheme: A scheme focused on identifying and documenting villages across India, abbreviated as MGMD.
Ministry of Culture: The Indian government ministry responsible for the administration of arts and culture in India.
Lok Sabha: The lower house of the Parliament of India.
Tamil Nadu: A state in southern India, with specific focus on its villages, culture, and heritage practices within the policy document.
Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat: Minister of Culture and Tourism, responsible for answering the Lok Sabha question.
Siddha medicine: A traditional system of medicine originating in South India, specifically mentioned in the context of Tamil Nadu's unique practices.
Cultural Tourism: Promotion of heritage villages through tourism
Andaman and Nicobar Islands: A union territory of India. Mentioned in Annexure 1 as a region to have villages uploaded in the MGMD scheme.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF CULTURE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 2317
TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.08.2025
MERA GAON MERI DHAROHAR SCHEME
2317. Shri Tharaniventhan M S:
Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state:
(a) the details of the number of villages identified and documented under the Mera
Gaon Meri Dharohar (MGMD) scheme so far, with State-wise, particularly Tamil
Nadu;
(b) whether the scheme takes into account the unique linguistic, cultural, and heritage
practices of Tamil Nadu, including temple architecture, folk arts, Siddha medicine
andclassicaltraditions;
(c) whether any proposals from the Government of Tamil Nadu or local bodies have
been submitted for inclusion under MGMD and the status of those proposals;
(d) the details of the measures taken to ensure that local communities involved in the
documentation and preservation process and any economic or skill development
benefits received by them from this initiative; and
(e) whether the Government plans to promote these heritage villages through tourism,
digital platforms and educational initiatives and if so, the details of the number of
many villages in Tamil Nadu are included in such plans?"
ANSWER
MINISTER OF CULTURE AND TOURISM
(SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)
(a) A total of approximately 6.5 lakh villages across India have been identified, out of which
data for around 4.7 lakh villages have been uploaded on the MGMD portal. In the state of
Tamil Nadu, data for 14,251 out of 19,219 villages have been mapped and uploaded.
State-wise and district-wise details for Tamil Nadu are provided in Annexure-I and
Annexure-II, respectively.(b) The MGMD Programme, through its comprehensive portal, takes into account the unique
linguistic, cultural and heritage practices of each village, including temple architecture,
folk arts and classical traditions. This includes the distinct traditions of Tamil Nadu such
as Siddha medicine and local art forms.
(c) No, Sir.
(d) A crowdsourcing option is available on the MGMD Portal, enabling local communities to
actively participate in the documentation and preservation of cultural heritage., Villagers
are encouraged to submit and validate cultural information related to their own villages.
However, no economic or skill development benefit have been extended to the villagers
under this initiative.
(e) Yes, the Government of India is taking steps to promote heritage villages across the
country through cultural tourism, digital platforms, and educational initiatives. These
include encouraging participation in cultural events, showcasing traditional art forms, and
creating awareness through digital and educational outreach. However, there is no
specific initiative exclusively for the villages of Tamil Nadu.
*******ANNEXURE-I
Annexure mentioned in the reply to part (a) of Lok Sabha unstarred question No. 2317
asked on August 04, 2025 regarding 'Mera Gaon Meri DharoharScheme'
Village Data Uploaded: State-wise
State/UT No. of Villages Uploaded
Andaman and Nicobar Islands 74
Andhra Pradesh 14131
Arunachal Pradesh 3884
Assam 14868
Bihar 36143
Chandigarh 12
Chhattisgarh 17349
Delhi 170
Goa 430
Gujarat 13406
Haryana 7502
Himachal Pradesh 19113
Jammu and Kashmir 6596
Jharkhand 28336
Karnataka 13712
Kerala 892
Ladakh 197
Lakshadweep 1
Madhya Pradesh 42625
Maharashtra 20307
Manipur 285
Meghalaya 6975
Mizoram 1015
Nagaland 1469
Odisha 35834
Puducherry 126
Punjab 10691
Rajasthan 39386
Sikkim 257
Tamil Nadu 14251
Telangana 4909
The Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu 106
Tripura 897
Uttar Pradesh 71076
Uttarakhand 14339
West Bengal 5917ANNEXURE-II
Annexure mentioned in the reply to part (a) of Lok Sabha unstarred question No. 2317
asked on August 04, 2025 regarding 'Mera Gaon Meri DharoharScheme'
District-wise Number of Villages Mapped and Uploaded on MGMD Portal – Tamil Nadu
District No. of Villages Uploaded
Ariyalur 197
Chengalpattu 629
Chennai 114
Coimbature 246
Cuddalore 366
Dharmapuri 411
Dindigul 411
Erode 520
Kalakuruchi 465
Kanchipuram 506
Kanyakumari 213
Karur 197
Krishnagiri 351
Madurai 707
Mayiladuthurai 244
Nagapattinam 194
Namakkal 338
Perambalur 140
Pudukottai 654
Ramanathapuram 369
Ranipet 210
Salem 478
Sivaganga 487
Tenkasi 256
Thanjavur 759
The Nilgiris 57
Theni 157
Thiruvallar 1
Thiruvallur 503
Thiruvarur 486
Tirucherappalli 575
Tirunalveli 319
Tirupathur 177
Tiruppur 346
Tiruvannamalai 776
Tuticorin 358
Vellore 179
Villupuram 421
Virudhunagar 434
TOTAL 14251