**Executive Summary**
This document is a response to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 435 regarding the Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar (MGMD) Scheme, to be answered on February 2nd, 2026. The question seeks details on the scheme's implementation, cultural inclusivity, community involvement, and future promotion plans, particularly in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh. The response is given by the Minister of Culture and Tourism.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **MGMD Scheme Progress:**
* 6.38 lakh villages have been identified for cultural mapping under the MGMD program.
* Data relating to 6.23 lakh villages have been documented and uploaded on the MGMD portal.
* 1,132 villages in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar district, Maharashtra, have been mapped.
* A list of the state/UT-wise breakdown is available in Annexure 1.
* **Cultural Inclusivity:**
* The MGMD Programme documents a wide range of village-level cultural attributes, including linguistic, cultural and heritage practices.
* This encompasses traditional architecture, folk art forms, and other cultural traditions of villages across India, including those in Tamil Nadu.
* **Proposals and Community Involvement:**
* No proposals have been received from the State Government of Tamil Nadu or local bodies for inclusion under MGMD.
* Community participation is facilitated through a crowdsourcing mechanism via the 'Contribute' feature on the MGMD portal.
* The scheme is envisioned as a digital documentation initiative with no specific provisions for economic benefits or skill development.
* **Promotion of Heritage Villages:**
* The MGMD portal functions as a digital repository of village-level cultural data.
* No specific initiatives for promotion of heritage villages through tourism or educational programmes have been undertaken under the MGMD Programme so far.
* **Documentation Framework:**
* The MGMD Programme documents a broad spectrum of tangible and intangible cultural elements.
* The documentation framework is uniformly applied across all States and Union Territories.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder: Local Communities (especially in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh)**
* **Impact:** The MGMD program aims to document and preserve the cultural heritage of villages, providing a platform for communities to showcase their unique traditions.
* **Action Required:** Local residents are encouraged to contribute and validate cultural information relating to their villages via the "Contribute" feature on the MGMD portal.
**Stakeholder: State Governments (especially Tamil Nadu)**
* **Impact:** The state government can leverage the MGMD program to enhance tourism and cultural preservation efforts.
* **Action Required:** The State Government of Tamil Nadu can submit proposals for inclusion under MGMD.
**Stakeholder: Central Government (Ministry of Culture)**
* **Impact:** Responsible for the overall implementation and management of the MGMD program.
* **Action Required:** Maintain and update the MGMD portal, ensure uniform application of the documentation framework, and consider future initiatives for promoting heritage villages through tourism and educational programs.
Key Entities Referenced
Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar (MGMD) Scheme: A scheme focused on documenting and mapping the cultural heritage of villages across India, including creating a digital repository of village-level cultural data.
Tamil Nadu: A state in India specifically mentioned concerning its linguistic, cultural heritage practices, and inclusion under the MGMD scheme.
Maharashtra: A state in India specifically mentioned concerning the MGMD scheme.
Madhya Pradesh: A state in India specifically mentioned concerning the MGMD scheme.
MGMD web portal: Online platform for uploading and accessing data collected under the Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar scheme.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF CULTURE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 435
TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.02.2026
MGMD SCHEME
435. SHRI THARANIVENTHAN M S:
SHRI DILESHWAR KAMAIT:
SHRI AMAR SHARADRAO KALE:
SHRI BHUMARE SANDIPANRAO ASARAM:
SHRI GYANESHWAR PATIL:
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 in the country, State/UT-
wise, particularly in Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra including
Chhatrapati Sambhaji nagar district;
(b) the details and number of villages for which data has been uploaded on
MGMD web portal in the country, State/UT-wise especially in the said States
and district so far;
(c) whether the scheme takes into account the unique linguistic, cultural and
heritage practices of Tamil Nadu, including temple architecture, folk arts,
Siddha medicine and classical traditions;
(d) whether any proposals have been received from the State Government of
Tamil Nadu or local bodies for inclusion under MGMD and the status of those
proposals;
(e) the measures taken to ensure that local communities are involved in the
documentation and preservation process to strengthen rural identity and whether
they receive any economic or skill development benefits from this initiative in
the country, especially in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Madhya Pardesh;
(f) whether the Government plans to promote these heritage villages through
tourism, digital platforms and educational initiatives and if so, the number of
villages in Tamil Nadu are being included in such plans; and
(g) the details of the nature of cultural elements and heritage components being
documented under the said initiatives, State/UT-wise including Maharashtra and
Madhya Pradesh?ANSWER
MINISTER OF CULTURE AND TOURISM
(SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)
(a) & (b) Under the Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar (MGMD) Programme, 6.38 lakh
villages have been identified for cultural mapping across the country. Out of
these, data relating to 6.23 lakh villages has been documented and uploaded on
the MGMD portal (https://mgmd.gov.in), covering all States and Union
Territories. The State/UT-wise details of villages covered are placed at
Annexure-I. Further, 1,132 villages in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar district
(formerly Aurangabad), Maharashtra, have been mapped.
(c) The MGMD Programme documents a wide range of village-level cultural
attributes, including linguistic, cultural and heritage practices. This encompasses,
inter alia, traditional architecture, folk art forms and other cultural traditions of
villages across India, including those in Tamil Nadu.
(d) No, Sir.
(e) Community participation in documentation is facilitated through a crowdsourcing
mechanism. The ‘Contribute’ feature on the MGMD portal enables local
residents to submit and validate cultural information relating to their villages,
thereby encouraging community engagement across States, including Tamil
Nadu, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. MGMD has been envisaged as a digital
documentation initiative, and no specific provisions relating to economic benefits
or skill development have been incorporated in this programme
(f) The MGMD portal functions as a digital repository of village-level cultural data.
However, no specific initiatives for promotion of heritage villages through
tourism or educational programmes have been undertaken under the MGMD
Programme so far.
(g) The MGMD Programme documents a broad spectrum of tangible and intangible
cultural elements, including oral traditions, beliefs, customs, historical
associations, art forms, local languages, heritage sites, traditional food practices,
prominent artists, fairs and festivals, traditional attire, ornaments and local
landmarks. This documentation framework is uniformly applied across all States
and Union Territories, including Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh
*******ANNEXURE-I
Annexure referred to in reply to part (a) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 435
asked on 02nd February, 2026 regarding ‘MGMD Scheme'
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