**Executive Summary**
This document outlines initiatives for the preservation of India’s built heritage, promotion of folk art and culture, and the digitization of museum collections, primarily focusing on activities and expenditures for the year 2024-25. It includes details on conservation work by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), grants-in-aid to Zonal Cultural Centres (ZCCs), and digitization efforts through the JATAN software. Financial assistance details for setting up new museums or developing existing ones are included.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Conservation of Monuments:**
* Initiatives for preserving India's built heritage during 2024-25 have been reviewed.
* ASI undertakes conservation work based on monument needs and the Annual Conservation Plan.
* Expenditure for conservation of monuments in 2024-25 is budgeted at ₹313.04 Crore.
* **Promotion of Folk Art and Culture:**
* Seven Zonal Cultural Centres (ZCCs) organize cultural activities to promote folk and tribal arts.
* ZCCs provide honorariums, TA/DA, local transportation, and lodging to artists.
* Grant-in-aid released to ZCCs over the last three years:
* 2022-23: ₹6572.06 lakh
* 2023-24: ₹11967.57 lakh
* 2024-25: ₹11121.66 lakh
* **Digitization of Museum Collections:**
* Progress on digitization of museum collections is regularly reviewed.
* The JATAN software is used for digitizing various museum collections.
* 8 National Level Museums and 2 ASI Museums have been digitized through JATAN.
* A digital repository is available at www.museumsofindia.gov.in.
* NMMA has documented and published data for 11,406 Built Heritage & Sites and 12,47,668 Antiquities.
* **Financial Assistance for New/Existing Museums (FY 2024-25):**
* Arunachal Pradesh: ₹21.698 lakh for the District Museum, Ziro.
* Maharashtra: ₹8.90 lakh for the Asian Cultural Museum, Pune.
* Mumbai: ₹100.00 lakh for the Framji Dadabhoy Alpiwalla Museum.
* Uttar Pradesh: ₹170.52 lakh for galleries at VRI Braj Culture Museum.
* Odisha: ₹57.887 lakh for the JD Centre for Art Museum.
* Allahabad Museum: ₹10.488 lakh.
**Impact Analysis**
**Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)**
* **Impact:** Responsible for executing conservation work on protected monuments based on approved plans and budget.
* **Action Required:** Ensure conservation activities align with the Annual Conservation Plan and utilize the allocated budget effectively.
**Zonal Cultural Centres (ZCCs)**
* **Impact:** Play a crucial role in organizing cultural activities and supporting folk and tribal artists.
* **Action Required:** Continue organizing cultural activities, ensure timely payment of honorariums to artists, and utilize grants efficiently.
**Museums**
* **Impact:** Involved in digitization efforts and may receive financial assistance for development.
* **Action Required:** Adopt the JATAN software for digitization, contribute to the digital repository, and utilize financial assistance for museum development.
**Folk and Tribal Artists**
* **Impact:** Benefit from opportunities to showcase talents and earn livelihoods through ZCC programs.
* **Action Required:** Participate in cultural activities organized by ZCCs.
**National Mission on Monuments and Antiquities (NMMA)**
* **Impact:** In charge of documenting and publishing data for Built Heritage & Sites and Antiquities
* **Action Required:** Maintain and update the NMMA website with data regarding Built Heritage & Sites and Antiquities.
Key Entities Referenced
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI): Agency responsible for the conservation work of protected monuments.
Zonal Cultural Centres (ZCCs): Seven centers established to protect, promote and preserve folk art and culture throughout India.
National Mission on Monuments and Antiquities (NMMA): Established to prepare national registers on Monuments and Antiquities.
Ministry of Culture: The ministry responsible for the preservation and digitization of cultural heritage.
JATAN: Software used for the digitization of museum collections.
Ministry of Culture
RESERVATION, PROMOTION AND DIGITISATION
OF CULTURAL HERITAGE
Posted On: 05 FEB 2026 3:25PM by PIB Delhi
The initiatives for the preservation of India’s built heritage during 2024-25 have been reviewed and
assessed. The conservation work of the protected monuments is taken up by ASI as per the needs and
requirement of the monument, after the approval of Annual Conservation Plan. The detail of expenditure
on conservation of monuments is given as under :-
(Rs. In Crore)
Sl. No. Year Expenditure incurred
1. 2024-25 313.04
To protect, promote and preserve various forms of folk art and culture 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. These ZCCs organize various cultural
activities and programmes on a regular basis all over India for which they engage folk/ tribal artists to
showcase their talents at national level. These artists are paid honorarium, TA/DA, local transportation,
boarding & lodging etc. to enable them to earn their livelihood. The grant-in-aid released to all the seven
ZCCs to organize various cultural activities and programmes during the last three years is as under:
(Rs. in lakh)
Sl. No. Year Amount released
i. 2022-23 6572.06
ii. 2023-24 11967.57
iii. 2024-25 11121.66
Also, the progress on the digitization of collection in various museums under Ministry of Culture is
reviewed and assessed regularly.
The details of financial assistance given for setting up of new museums/development of existing museums
are at Annexure-I.Further, the Govt. of India has established the National Mission on Monuments and Antiquities (NMMA)
in 2007 to prepare two national registers on Monuments (Built Heritage and Sites) and Antiquities across
the country.
NMMA is conducting workshops in various regions to raise awareness and provide training programs to
universities, colleges, NGO’s and other interested organisations.
Ministry of Culture has been using a software named “JATAN” for digitization of museums collections
like coin, painting, manuscript, philately, decorative art, archaeology, bead, anthropology, arms and
armour, terracotta, porcelain, central asian antiquity, numismatics, epigraphy manuscripts and artefacts.
Till date 8 renowned National Level Museums and 2 ASI Museums have been digitized through JATAN
Software. The above-mentioned project of digital repository of the collections of these Museums in
technical collaboration with C-DAC, Pune along with a unified web portal at www.museumsofindia.gov.in
on which the details of the collections of these museums along with their image are available. Digitized
Articles till date can be viewed by accessing the following link
https://museumsofindia.gov.in/repository
Also, NMMA has documented and published data for 11,406 Built Heritage & Sites and 12,47,668
Antiquities. The data has been published at the NMMA website: http://nmma.nic.in
The ASI Annual Report for 2025-26 outlines details of works undertaken such as Conservation, Scientific
Preservation, Excavation World Heritage Matter etc.
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
Annexure-I
The details of financial assistance given for setting up of new museums/development of existing
museums:
(Amount Rs. in lakhs)S. No. State Name of Organization Type of FY
museum
2024-25
Arunachal Dept. of Cultural Affairs, Govt. of New 21.698
Pradesh Arunachal Pradesh, for Development of
Museum
District Museum, Ziro, Arunachal
Pradesh
2. Maharashtra Symbiosis Society's for Development of Existing 8.90
Asian Cultural Museum, Pune Museum
3. Funds & Properties of the Parsi Existing 100.00
Punchayet Bombay, of Framji Dadabhoy Museum
Alpiwalla Museum, Dr. Dadabhai
Naoroji Road, Fort, Mumbai
4. Uttar Vrindavan Research Institute. Raman Existing 170.52
Pradesh Reti Marg, Vrindavan, Mathura. U.P. for Museum
Construction of New 6 Number of
Galleries at VRI Braj Culture Museum
5. Odisha JD Centre for Art Museum, New 57.887
Bhubaneswar, Odisha
Museum
6. Allahabad Allahabad High Court, Allahabad, Uttar Existing 10.488
Museum Pradesh Museum
*****
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