The Ministry of Culture is providing extensive financial assistance to traditional artists, folk performers, cultural organizations and scholars across the country through the Kala Sanskriti Vikas Yojana, a central sector scheme designed to promote performing arts and preserve India’s rich cultural heritage.
Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat shared this information in a written reply in the Lok Sabha, outlining the various components of the scheme and the financial assistance disbursed in recent years.
According to the ministry, the Kala Sanskriti Vikas Yojana provides financial support to organizations and artists engaged in a wide range of performing arts including traditional and folk arts, classical music, dance, theatre, and other cultural forms practiced across the country.
Financial assistance provided under the scheme over the past three financial years reflects continued government support to the cultural sector. During the financial year 2022–23, a total amount of ₹213.76 crore was disbursed. In 2023–24, the assistance increased slightly to ₹218.36 crore. In 2024–25, the scheme provided financial support amounting to ₹201.67 crore.
The Kala Sanskriti Vikas Yojana consists of multiple scheme components designed to promote artistic training, strengthen cultural institutions, support infrastructure development and encourage research and scholarship in cultural fields.
Promotion Of Guru Shishya Parampara
One of the major components of the scheme focuses on preserving the traditional Guru Shishya Parampara system of artistic training. Under this component, financial assistance is provided to support performing arts activities including dramatic groups, theatre groups, music ensembles and children’s theatre groups.
The scheme enables experienced Gurus to impart training to emerging artists on a regular basis. Financial support is provided for one Guru and up to 18 Shishyas in the fields of theatre, music and dance.
Under this component, the Guru receives financial assistance of ₹15,000 per month, while Shishyas receive monthly support ranging from ₹2,000 to ₹10,000 depending on the age of the artist.
Promotion Of Art And Culture
Another major component under Kala Sanskriti Vikas Yojana provides financial assistance for the promotion of art and culture through several sub schemes that support cultural organizations and activities across the country.
Financial Assistance To Cultural Organizations With National Presence
Under this sub component, financial assistance is provided to cultural organizations that have a national presence and are actively engaged in promoting art and culture throughout India.
To qualify, organizations must have a properly constituted managing body, must be registered in India, and must have a nationwide operational presence. Eligible organizations must also have adequate working strength and must have spent at least ₹1 crore on cultural activities in three of the last five years.
The financial grant under this scheme is ₹1 crore, which may be increased up to ₹5 crore in exceptional cases.
Cultural Function And Production Grant
The Cultural Function and Production Grant provides financial support to organizations including NGOs, societies, trusts and universities for organizing seminars, conferences, workshops, festivals, exhibitions, research programmes and cultural productions such as dance, drama, theatre and music.
Under this scheme, organizations can receive financial assistance of up to ₹5 lakh. In exceptional cases, the grant may be increased to ₹20 lakh.
Preservation Of Himalayan Cultural Heritage
Another component of the scheme focuses on preserving and promoting the cultural heritage of the Himalayan region through research, training programmes and audio visual dissemination.
Financial assistance under this component is available to organizations in Himalayan states including Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.
Organizations can receive grants of ₹10 lakh per year, which may be increased to ₹30 lakh in exceptional cases.
Support For Buddhist And Tibetan Cultural Organizations
The Ministry of Culture also provides financial assistance to voluntary Buddhist and Tibetan organizations including monasteries engaged in the propagation and scientific development of Buddhist and Tibetan cultural traditions.
These institutions may receive financial assistance of up to ₹30 lakh per year, which can be increased up to ₹1 crore in exceptional cases.
Building Grants And Cultural Infrastructure
Financial assistance is also provided to support the creation and development of cultural infrastructure such as studio theatres, auditoriums, rehearsal halls and classrooms.
Under this component, NGOs, trusts, societies, universities, colleges and government supported bodies can receive financial assistance to create cultural facilities and install equipment such as electrical systems, acoustics and sound and lighting systems.
The maximum grant under this scheme is ₹50 lakh for projects in metro cities and ₹25 lakh for projects in non metro cities.
Domestic Festivals And Fairs
The Ministry also provides assistance for organizing Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsavs across the country through Zonal Cultural Centres. These festivals bring together artists from different regions and provide a national platform for showcasing diverse artistic traditions.
Since November 2015, a total of fourteen Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsavs have been organized across India.
Tagore Cultural Complexes
Under another component, financial assistance is provided for the construction of Tagore Cultural Complexes, which are large cultural spaces designed for performing arts, exhibitions, seminars and literary activities.
Financial assistance under this scheme can be provided to NGOs, trusts, societies, universities, municipal bodies and government institutions for constructing new cultural complexes or for renovating and modernizing existing facilities such as Rabindra Bhawans and Rangshalas.
The financial assistance for such projects can be up to ₹15 crore. For projects in the North Eastern Region, the central government provides 90 percent of the approved project cost while the remaining 10 percent is borne by the state government or implementing organization.
For projects in other parts of the country, the funding pattern follows a 60:40 ratio between central assistance and the state or implementing agency.
Scholarships And Fellowships For Cultural Promotion
The Ministry of Culture also administers schemes that provide scholarships and fellowships to promote research, training and excellence in cultural fields.
Under the fellowship scheme, up to 400 fellowships are awarded in each batch year to outstanding individuals in the field of culture. The fellowships are divided into 200 junior fellowships for individuals aged 25 to 40 years and 200 senior fellowships for individuals above 40 years of age.
Junior fellows receive ₹10,000 per month while senior fellows receive ₹20,000 per month for a period of two years to support cultural research.
Scholarships For Young Artists
Under the Scholarship to Young Artistes scheme, up to 400 scholarships are awarded annually to talented young artists between the ages of 18 and 25.
The scholarship provides financial assistance of ₹5,000 per month for a period of two years to support advanced training within India in fields such as Indian classical music, classical dance, theatre, mime, visual arts, folk arts, traditional arts, indigenous arts and light classical music.
The scholarship amount is released in four equal six monthly installments.
Tagore National Fellowship For Cultural Research
The Tagore National Fellowship programme supports scholars and academicians who wish to conduct research in cultural institutions.
Under this scheme, up to 15 fellowships are awarded with financial assistance of ₹80,000 per month along with contingency allowance, and up to 25 scholarships are awarded with financial assistance of ₹50,000 per month along with contingency allowance.
These fellowships and scholarships are granted for a maximum period of two years.
Financial Assistance For Veteran Artists
The Ministry of Culture also runs a scheme to support veteran artists and scholars aged 60 years and above who have made significant contributions to art, literature and culture but have limited financial resources.
Under this scheme, eligible artists with an annual income not exceeding ₹72,000 can receive financial assistance of up to ₹6,000 per month. In case of the death of the beneficiary, the financial assistance is transferred to the spouse.
In addition to these financial schemes, the Ministry promotes cultural activities across the country through Zonal Cultural Centres and the Sangeet Natak Akademi, which regularly organize programmes featuring folk, tribal and traditional artists from different regions of India.
To improve accessibility and outreach, the Ministry of Culture has made scheme guidelines and application forms available on its official website. Information about these schemes is also widely publicized through newspaper advertisements, official social media platforms and cultural institutions across the country.
