**Executive Summary**
This document, released by the Ministry of Culture on February 5, 2026, outlines the various initiatives undertaken by the Government of India to preserve and promote tribal cultural heritage. This includes the role of Zonal Cultural Centres (ZCCs) and the Sahitya Akademi in organizing events, providing support, and documenting tribal arts and literature. The document also highlights the involvement of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs through specific schemes.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Zonal Cultural Centres (ZCCs):**
* Seven ZCCs have been established across India with headquarters at Patiala, Nagpur, Udaipur, Prayagraj, Kolkata, Dimapur and Thanjavur.
* ZCCs are provided with annual grant-in-aid to organize cultural activities and programs in member states.
* They organize festivals (e.g., Hornbill Festival, Octave, Tribal Dance Festival, Adiwasi Mahotsav), showcasing folk dances, songs, cuisine, and traditional skills.
* ZCCs are involved in heritage conservation, exhibition, and cultural transmission.
* ZCCs have supported 6476 communities/artists/cultural practitioners during the year 2025.
* ZCCs display tribal costumes, musical instruments, and daily use utensils to promote tribal culture to tourists.
* They are also involved in recording and documenting endangered folk/tribal art forms.
* **Ministry of Tribal Affairs:**
* Implements schemes like "Support to Tribal Research Institutes and Tribal Research, Information, Education, Communication and Events” to conserve and promote tribal culture.
* Supports research studies, publications, and audio-visual documentation.
* **Sahitya Akademi:**
* Gives Bhasha Samman to scholars working in tribal languages and oral traditions.
* Established a North East Centre for Oral Literature (NECOL) in Agartala.
* Instituted a Language Development Board, which organizes Language Conventions (e.g., in Awadhi, Banjara, Bundeli languages).
* Celebrates International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples on August 9th.
* Collects and preserves materials connected with writers and literature, including tribal writers, through the Archives of Indian Literature project.
* **Research & Documentation Scheme:**
* Supports the preservation and promotion of fading visual and performing arts.
* Documents traditions in print and audiovisual formats.
* Selection of art forms is done in consultation with State Cultural Departments.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder: Tribal Communities**
* **Impact:** Increased visibility, support for cultural preservation, opportunities to showcase talents, access to training.
* **Action Required:** Engage with ZCCs, Sahitya Akademi, and participate in programs/activities.
**Stakeholder: Artists and Cultural Practitioners**
* **Impact:** Financial support (honorarium, DA/TA, boarding & lodging), platforms to showcase talents, preservation of art forms.
* **Action Required:** Participate in events organized by ZCCs, engage in documentation efforts.
**Stakeholder: Researchers and Scholars**
* **Impact:** Funding opportunities for research, access to resources for documentation, potential for recognition through Bhasha Samman.
* **Action Required:** Apply for research grants, contribute to documentation efforts, participate in Sahitya Akademi initiatives.
**Stakeholder: Tourists and Visitors**
* **Impact:** Enhanced understanding and appreciation of tribal cultures through exhibitions and events.
* **Action Required:** Visit ZCCs and attend cultural programs to learn about tribal heritage.
Key Entities Referenced
Zonal Cultural Centres (ZCCs): Seven regional cultural centers established to promote and preserve folk and tribal art forms throughout India.
Ministry of Culture: The government ministry responsible for initiatives to preserve and promote tribal cultural heritage.
Sahitya Akademi: An autonomous organization under the Ministry of Culture that promotes literature, including tribal languages and oral traditions, through awards, programs, and documentation.
Support to Tribal Research Institutes and Tribal Research, Information, Education, Communication and Events (TRI-ECE): A government scheme implemented by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs to conserve and promote tribal culture through research, documentation, and communication.
Agartala: Location of the North East Centre for Oral Literature (NECOL), established by the Sahitya Akademi to cater to languages belonging to oral tradition.
Ministry of Culture
PRESERVATION AND PROMOTION OF TRIBAL
CULTURAL HERITAGE
Posted On: 05 FEB 2026 3:22PM by PIB Delhi
To preserve, document and promote various forms of folk art, tribal heritage including tribal art forms &
oral traditions throughout the country, the Government of India has set up seven Zonal Cultural Centres
(ZCCs) with headquarters at Patiala, Nagpur, Udaipur, Prayagraj, Kolkata, Dimapur and Thanjavur.
Annual grant-in-aid is released to these seven ZCCs for organizing various cultural activities and
programmes on regular basis in their member States.
To promote the tribal culture, various festivals like Hornbill Festival, Octave, Tribal Dance Festival, Adi
Bimb, Adi Sapta Pallav, Adi Lok Rang, Adiwasi Mahotsav etc. are organized through Zonal Cultural
Centres (ZCCs) of Ministry of Culture to showcase unique forms of folk dances, songs, cuisine,
exhibitions and demonstration of traditional skill in painting, art & craft etc.
Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India implements the schemes of “Support to Tribal Research
Institutes and Tribal Research, Information, Education, Communication and Events” under which various
activities are undertaken to conserve and promote tribal culture, archives, artefacts, customs and traditions
of the tribal communities. Under the Scheme of “Tribal Research, Information, Education,
Communication and Events (TRI-ECE)”, reputed research Institutes/ Organizations/ Universities have
undertaken various research studies/ publication of books/ documentation including audio visual
documentaries etc.
Sahitya Akademi gives Bhasha Samman every year to scholars working in tribal languages and oral
traditions. Akademi has also created a special programs and centers for documentation and preservation of
oral and tribal literature, Centre for Oral and Tribal Literature. The Akademi has also established a North
East Centre for Oral Literature (NECOL) in Agartala to exclusively cater to languages belonging to oral
tradition. The centre brings out related publications and also organizes activities and programmes in these
languages from time to time.
Sahitya Akademi under Ministry of Culture has instituted a Language Development Board which
periodically organizes Language Conventions. Since the inception of the Board, conventions in Awadhi,
Banjara, Bundeli, Chakma, Garhwali, Himachali, Kachchi, Kodava, Kumouni, Kurmali, Mising, Rajbansi,
Saora, Warli, Rabha, Sadari, Kharia, Baigani, Korku, Kharia and Nyshi languages have been conducted.
The Akademi celebrates International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples on 9th August every year by
organizing an All-India Tribal Writers' Meet to involve tribal communities.
Through its project named Archives of Indian Literature the Akademi collects and preserves precious
material connected with writers and literature like manuscripts, photographs, audio recordings, video
recordings and portraits, etc., which includes tribal writers too.Artists are engaged by ZCCs from tribal areas to showcase their talents in various cultural programmes/
activities organized by these ZCCs for which they are paid honorarium, DA/TA, boarding & lodging etc.
6476 communities/ artists/ cultural practitioners have been supported in this way during the year 2025.
To involve tribal communities directly in heritage conservation, exhibition and cultural transmission, all
the ZCCs organize programmes to show the rich and vivid tribal cultural heritage of their member States,
conduct workshops to promote dying and vanishing art forms of tribal communities, undertake
documentation of art forms including tribal dances, paintings, music etc. Under Guru Shishya Parampara
Scheme, the younger generation is imparted training relating to Indian tribal art forms.
Tribal costumes, musical instruments, daily use utensils, deities of tribal communities etc. are displayed by
the ZCCs to give an idea of the tribal culture of the States to tourists and visitors.
To safeguard and showcase India’s tribal heritage, the ZCCs have aptly discharged their responsibilities of
preserving and propagating our folk and tribal art forms - dance, music, art and performing arts, etc. The
ZCCs have played a pivotal role to preserve, document and disseminate the dynamics of our folk and
tribal art forms amongst the new generation of enthusiasts and practitioners.
Further, 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. These ZCCs are also involved in recording and
documenting endangered folk/ tribal art forms as well as printing books, reports and stories related to
folklore and oral history.
This information was given by Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in
a written reply in Rajya Sabha today
****
M Annadurai
(Release ID: 2223737) Visitor Counter : 112
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