Revival for Indira arts centre- By Venkat Parsa

June 2007

The Asian Age, New Delhi – 

New Delhi, June 18: Union culture minister Ambika Soni has said government was committed to improveing the functioning of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), in order to restore to it, its pre-eminent position for the arts, both nationally and internationaly. In the 11th Plan, Rs. 50 crore have been provided for dedicated schemes and projects that would enlarge the already eisting long-standing projects of the IGNCA in different fields. With the infusion of funds, it is expected that the pending activities that could not be taken up in the past due to paucity of funds would now be completed quickly. Both human and physical infrastructure would be enhanced.

Ms. Soni, who plans to give a big boost to the activities of the IGNCA said a sum of Rs. 147.75 crore has been proposed for various activities of IGNCA during 11th Plan. A sum of Rs. 50 crore has been provided for the annual plan 2007-08. Out ofthis, about Rs. 33 crore will be required for the building project and maintenance.

In June 2006 a decision was taken at the level of PMO that Kala Nidhi – Kala Kosa would be fully completed and Sutradhara will be capped at ground level. The CPWD has been entrusted the work. they have put forth an estimate of Rs. 33 crore. Funds are to be given to the IGNCA through the Plan grant.

It has over 2.5 lakh manuscritps in microfilm in Sanskrit, Pali, Persian and Arabic and it has digitized over 1.5 crore pages of these manuscripts and many more outside its collection. The Cultural Informatics Laboratory of the IGNCA has pionered the use of digital technology in the field of culture and it has lent its expertise to the Archaeological Survey of India, National Museum, National Manuscript Mission and other organisations under the Ministry of Culture.

The IGNCA Trust was reconstituted on May 17.