Parliament Question: Promotion of tribal and folk arts

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CULTURE RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3070 ANSWERED ON 19.03.2026 PROMOTION OF TRIBAL AND FOLK ARTS 3070 DR. K. LAXMAN: Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state:- (a) the initiatives undertaken under schemes like Scheme for Safeguarding the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) to identify, document, and promote diverse tribal and folk art forms; (b) the specific support extended to unique art forms of Telangana such as Gusadi Dance of the Gond tribe, Oggu Katha, and Cheriyal scroll painting to ensure their preservation and provide livelihoods to artisans; and (c) the details of organization of festivals and digital platforms to showcase these art forms to national and international audiences? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF CULTURE AND TOURISM (SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT) (a) Ministry of Culture, through the Sangeet Natak Akademi (SNA), an autonomous organization under this Ministry and nodal agency for Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) matters conducts research and documentations for ICH elements including diverse tribal and folk forms and puts it up on the National Inventory of the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH). (b) The Sangeet Natak Akademi has frequently presented Gusadi Dance and Oggu Katha on various occasions at National/International Events. Furthermore, the Akademi hasinitiated Kala Deeksha, a national training programme aimed at reviving and sustaining endangered traditional, folk, and tribal performing art forms and provide livelihoods to the artisans. (c) The Sangeet Natak Akademi undertakes various initiatives to present Indian performing arts at prominent national and international platforms and promotes them through social media and digital channels. Recently, under the Global Dance Overture project with the Kostroma Russian National Ballet, the Akademi organized a Russian-Indian Folk Dance Cultural Exchange Workshop featuring demonstrations of Russian Ballet, Bhangra, Bihu, Koli, and Gusadi dance forms which was witnessed by the national and international audiences. *****