The Ministry of Culture has stepped up support for museums and heritage institutions nationwide through the Museum Grant Scheme, releasing funds and sanctioning projects aimed at upgrading physical infrastructure, expanding exhibition capacity, and digitising collections. Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat informed the Lok Sabha today that the scheme has backed a wide range of initiatives in States and Union Territories during the past five years and that detailed project lists and statewise funding are recorded in the official annexure.
Scope and objectives
The Museum Grant Scheme finances both development of existing museums and the setting up of new museums, along with a dedicated component for digitisation. Revised guidelines issued in November 2021 introduced two new components — Virtual Experiential Museums (VEM) and Projects of National Importance — and simplified procedural steps to widen participation from government bodies, cultural institutions and non government organisations. The scheme aims to improve visitor facilities, conserve collections, strengthen research and documentation, and support digital access to museum content.
Budgetary allocations and disbursements
The Central budget allocation (Budget Estimate / Revised Estimate) for the Museum Grant Scheme over the last five financial years is as follows
• 2020 21 24.05 crore
• 2021 22 35.71 crore
• 2022 23 32.23 crore
• 2023 24 45.40 crore
• 2024 25 20.00 crore
Projects are released in instalments with monitoring built into the disbursement process. The scheme requires quarterly progress reports from implementing agencies and mandates an on site physical inspection before release of the third and final instalment. Financial accountability is reinforced through annual audit of the scheme accounts by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.
Geographic spread and representative projects
The annexure submitted to Parliament lists more than a hundred projects sanctioned and provides statewise details of sanctioned amounts, releases and funds utilised. Projects span the breadth of the country, from mainstream heritage centres to regionally important museums and community initiatives. Notable examples include:
Andhra Pradesh
• Museum Eluru West Godavari Development of existing museum sanctioned 320 lakh
• Museum Vijayawada Development of existing museum sanctioned 640 lakh
• Padmashree Kalluri Subbarao Memorial District Archaeological Museum Anantapur Setting up of new museum sanctioned 572 lakh
• Science City Visakhapatnam Setting up of new museum sanctioned 375.20 lakh
North East and Himalayan states
• District Museum Ziro Arunachal Pradesh Setting up of new museum sanctioned 720 lakh
• Deskid Cultural and Welfare Society Leh Ladakh Setting up of new museum sanctioned 435.04 lakh
• Lunglei District Museum Mizoram Setting up of new museum sanctioned 827.217 lakh
• Naga Traditional Museum Kohima Nagaland Setting up of new museum sanctioned 100 lakh
Major state and institutional projects
• Salar Jung Museum Hyderabad Telangana Virtual Experiential Museum component sanctioned 33 lakh with utilisation under way
• J D Centre of Art Bhubaneswar Odisha Setting up of new museum sanctioned 621.6 lakh
• Gujari Mahal Museum Gwalior Madhya Pradesh Development of existing museum sanctioned 156 lakh
• Mariyya Brendra Kishore Manikya Museum Kunjaban Palace Tripura Development support sanctioned 1000 lakh
• Egmore Museum Iconic State Museum Tamil Nadu Development of existing museum sanctioned large scale allocation under central assistance
• Forest Research Institute Dehradun Uttarakhand Development of museum sanctioned 223.20 lakh
• Shahjahanpur Freedom Fighters Museum Uttar Pradesh Setting up of new museum sanctioned 400.144 lakh
• Parsi Punchayet Framji Dadabhoy Alpiwalla Museum Mumbai Development support sanctioned 400 lakh
Digitisation and small scale grants
The scheme includes targeted grants for digitisation of museum collections. An example listed in the annexure is Basava Samithi Bengaluru which received 25 lakh for digitisation related work, with phased releases and utilisation reported.
Implementation and oversight
Project implementation is overseen through a Project Implementing Committee mechanism that conducts periodic reviews. For Archaeological Survey of India projects the committee is chaired by the Director General of ASI; for other projects officials from the National Museum Grant Secretariat and Ministry of Culture preside over reviews. Donors and implementing agencies are brought into the monitoring process to ensure transparency and timely completion. Quarterly progress reports and mandatory inspections before final payments reinforce accountability and track physical and financial progress.
Programmatic changes and outcomes
The 2021 guideline revision broadened the scheme’s reach by adding virtual experiential museums and national importance projects, and streamlining documentation and sanction procedures to encourage more proposals from state governments, universities, trusts and NGOs. The scheme aims not only to upgrade brick and mortar infrastructure but also to make collections accessible to wider audiences through virtual exhibitions and digital catalogues, enhancing research, education and tourism potential.
No state specific quota
The Ministry clarified that there are no state specific initiatives under the scheme; projects are sanctioned on merit and priorities identified through proposals and assessments. Funds are released based on project readiness, compliance with guideline conditions and monitoring clearances.
Way forward
With an emphasis on conservation, capacity building and digital access, the Museum Grant Scheme is positioned as a key instrument to modernise India’s museum ecosystem. The Ministry will continue to monitor project execution, encourage proposals for Virtual Experiential Museums and Projects of National Importance, and ensure stricter oversight through regular reporting and audits.
This information was placed before Lok Sabha by Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and tabled in the House on March 9, 2026. The annexure accompanying the Ministry’s reply provides full statewise project lists, sanctioned amounts, release schedules and utilisation figures.
