Parliament Question: Promotion of Old Cultural Folk Dances

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CULTURE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-168 ANSWERED ON 21.07.2025 PROMOTION OF OLD CULTURAL FOLK DANCES 168. SMT. MALVIKA DEVI: Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state: (a) the details of the steps taken/being taken by the Government to promote Indian culture like chap dance of Saraikela and Kharsuan, Ghumra of Kalahandi etc.; (b) whether the Government has any plans to open any Government institutes for keeping the old cultural folk dances alive and promoting them for the coming generations and if so, the details thereof; and (c) the details of the steps taken/being taken by the Government to ensure that some pension should be given to these old folk dancers? ANSWER MINISTER OF CULTURE AND TOURISM (SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT) (a) To promote Indian culture like chap dance of Saraikela and Kharsuan, Ghumra of Kalahandi etc., the Government of India has set up Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre (EZCC) with headquarters at Kolkata which has organized as well as participated in the following major cultural activities relating to Chap Dance of Saraikela and Kharsuan and Ghumra of Kalahandi in the last five years:-  Ghumra Dance troupe participated in Parab Tribal Dance Festival organized from 16- 18 November, 2024 at Koraput, Odisha.  Ghumra Dance performance during Vilupt Lok Evam Janjatiya Kala Uthan Mahotsav on 16 November, 2024 at Kalahandi, Odisha.  Chhau Festival in collaboration with Chhau Nritya Kala Kendra, Kharsawan, Jharkhand on 18-19 October, 2024 at Kharsawan, Jharkhand.  Sanskritik Utsav (Traditional Music & Dance Festival) on the occasion of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav in collaboration with Chhau Nritya Kala Kendra, Kharsawan, Jharkhand on 4-5 January, 2023 at Kharsawan, Jharkhand.  Ghumra Dance troupe performed in Mondei-2023 organized in December, 2023 at Nabarangpur District, Odisha.  Ghumra Dance performance during Independence Day Celebration on 15 August, 2022 & 2023 at Utkal University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha.  Ghumra Dance troupe participated in 27th Sambalpur Lok Mahotsav organized from 4-6 January, 2022 at Sambalpur, Odisha.  Chhau Dance Festival in collaboration with Chhau Chaupal, Chandankiyare, Jharkhand from 26-28 Dec, 2021 at Chandankiyare, Jharkhand.  The Ghumra Dance performance was also featured during the Republic Day Parade on 26 January, 1999. (b) The Government of India has already set up seven Zonal Cultural Centres (ZCCs) with headquarters at Patiala, Nagpur, Udaipur, Prayagraj, Kolkata, Dimapur and Thanjavur to protect, promote & preserve various forms of folk art & culture including old cultural folkdances. These ZCCs organize various cultural activities and programmes on regular basis in the country for which they engage folk artists from all over Indiawho showcase their talent during these programmes. Besides, Ministry of Culture through its ZCCs also organizes Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsavs (RSMs) at national level in the country by providing a platform to a large number of folk artists from all over India. Till date, 14 RSMs and 04 Zonal Level RSMs have been organized by the Ministry of Culture across the country. For keeping the old cultural folk dances & other art forms alive and also promoting them for the coming generations, the Ministry of Culture has adopted a multi-pronged approach. A cornerstone of this effort is the Guru Shishya Parampara Scheme implemented through Zonal Cultural Centres (ZCCs). This scheme facilitates the transmission of rare art traditions from veteran artists to the younger generation in the traditional Gurukula style. Gurus and their disciples receive structured financial support and selected disciples are also given opportunities to perform at various cultural festivals and events, ensuring wider recognition and continuity of the art forms. In parallel, the Research & Documentation Scheme supports the preservation and promotion of fading visual and performing arts across disciplines like music, dance, theatre, literature and fine arts. This initiative documents these traditions in both print and audiovisual formats, with the selection of art forms done in consultation with State Cultural Departments. Also, the Ministry of Culture, through ZCCs, organized the Vilupt Lok Evam Janjatiya Kala Utthan Mahotsav from October, 2024 to March, 2025. Held at the divisional level across all seven cultural zones, this festival was a collaborative effort involving the Ministry of Textiles, State Governments and academic institutions. It featured intensive 15- 21 day workshops every week, offering immersive training and exposure to traditional art forms, thereby creating a vibrant platform for reviving and keeping alive the diverse art forms of the country. (c) Ministry of Culture administers a scheme namely “Scheme for Financial Assistance to Veteran Artists” under which financial assistance is provided to the eligible veteran artists. The eligibility criteria of the scheme is as under: i. the applicant artist should have contributed significantly in their specialized fields of arts, letters etc. in their active age or are still contributing; ii. the applicant artist should not be less than 60 years of age; iii. annual income of the applicant must not exceed Rs. 72,000/-; iv. the applicant artist should be a recipient of artists pension of at least Rs. 500/- per month from the concerned State Government/ UT Administration or the artistic credentials of the applicant are verified and recommended by the concerned Zonal Cultural Centre (ZCC), Ministry of Culture; and v. the applicant artist should not be getting financial assistance under any other scheme of the Ministry of Culture. The details of financial assistance provided to artists under the “Scheme for Financial Assistance to Veteran Artists” during the last three years are as under: Sl.No. Financial Year Financial Assistance (Rs. in crore) i. 2022-23 15.42 ii. 2023-24 18.59 iii. 2024-25 26.09 *****