**Executive Summary**
This document outlines the Government of India's initiatives to preserve and promote tribal cultural heritage. Key actions include establishing seven Zonal Cultural Centres (ZCCs) and implementing schemes for research, documentation, and cultural promotion. The document details the ongoing efforts and impact of these initiatives, particularly concerning the year 2025 and its objectives.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Preservation and Promotion Efforts**
* Seven Zonal Cultural Centres (ZCCs) have been established across India with headquarters in Patiala, Nagpur, Udaipur, Prayagraj, Kolkata, Dimapur, and Thanjavur.
* Annual grant-in-aid is provided to these ZCCs for organizing cultural activities and programs.
* Various festivals, such as Hornbill Festival, Octave, and Tribal Dance Festival, are organized through ZCCs to showcase tribal culture.
* The Ministry of Tribal Affairs implements schemes like "Support to Tribal Research Institutes" and "Tribal Research, Information, Education, Communication and Events (TRI-ECE)" to conserve and promote tribal culture, archives, and customs.
* Reputed institutions, organizations, and universities undertake research studies, book publications, and audio-visual documentaries under the TRI-ECE scheme.
* **Sahitya Akademi Initiatives**
* Sahitya Akademi awards the Bhasha Samman annually to scholars working in tribal languages and oral traditions.
* The Akademi has established centers for documentation and preservation of oral and tribal literature, including the North East Centre for Oral Literature (NECOL) in Agartala.
* A Language Development Board organizes Language Conventions, having conducted them for various tribal languages.
* Sahitya Akademi celebrates the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples on August 9th annually with an All-India Tribal Writers' Meet.
* The "Archives of Indian Literature" project collects and preserves materials related to writers and literature, including those of tribal writers.
* **ZCC Activities and Support**
* Artists from tribal areas are engaged by ZCCs for cultural programs and are paid honorarium, DA/TA, and boarding/lodging.
* In 2025, 6476 communities/artists/cultural practitioners were supported.
* ZCCs organize programs to showcase tribal heritage, conduct workshops for dying art forms, and document art forms like dances, paintings, and music.
* The Guru Shishya Parampara Scheme provides training in tribal art forms to the younger generation.
* ZCCs display tribal costumes, musical instruments, and utensils to familiarise tourists with tribal culture.
* The Research & Documentation Scheme supports the preservation of visual and performing arts, documenting traditions in print and audiovisual formats.
**Impact Analysis**
**Tribal Communities**
* **Impact:** Their rich and vivid cultural heritage is showcased, and dying or vanishing art forms are promoted through workshops and documentation. Traditional skills and knowledge are passed on to younger generations. They receive support through engagement in cultural programs.
* **Action Required:** Participate in ZCC organized programs, workshops, and training schemes.
**Artists and Cultural Practitioners**
* **Impact:** They are provided with opportunities to showcase their talents through ZCC organized programs and receive financial support and logistical arrangements (honorarium, DA/TA, boarding & lodging). Endangered art forms are documented and promoted.
* **Action Required:** Engage with ZCCs to participate in cultural programs and documentation initiatives.
**Research Institutes/Organizations/Universities**
* **Impact:** They are undertaking research studies, publications, and audio-visual documentaries related to tribal culture under the TRI-ECE scheme.
* **Action Required:** Continue research and documentation activities as part of the TRI-ECE scheme.
**Tourists and Visitors**
* **Impact:** They gain an understanding of tribal culture through displays of tribal costumes, musical instruments, and daily use utensils organized by ZCCs.
* **Action Required:** Visit exhibitions and events organized by ZCCs.
**Younger Generation**
* **Impact:** They are imparted training in Indian tribal art forms through the Guru Shishya Parampara Scheme, ensuring the continuity of cultural heritage.
* **Action Required:** Participate in training programs offered under the Guru Shishya Parampara Scheme.
Key Entities Referenced
Zonal Cultural Centres (ZCCs): Centers established by the Government of India to preserve, document, and promote tribal art forms and oral traditions.
Ministry of Culture: The government ministry responsible for implementing schemes and initiatives related to tribal cultural heritage.
Sahitya Akademi: An institution that awards the Bhasha Samman and has established programs and centers for the documentation and preservation of oral and tribal literature.
Ministry of Tribal Affairs: A government ministry that implements schemes for the conservation and promotion of tribal culture.
Guru Shishya Parampara Scheme: A scheme under which the younger generation is imparted training related to Indian tribal art forms.
Ministry of Culture
PRESERVATION AND PROMOTION OF TRIBAL
CULTURAL HERITAGE
Posted On: 09 MAR 2026 3:10PM 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 Lok Sabha today
***
M Annadurai
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