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Kumari Selja Launches Cultural Heritage Young Leadership Programme on the Occasion of India Heritage Week

19 Nov 2011
The Union Culture and Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation Minister Kumari Selja here today inaugurated the India Heritage Week and launched two new schemes - “Cultural Heritage Young Leadership Programme” and “scheme of Financial Assistance for publication of magazines and journals dedicated to Indian Culture and Heritage.” Addressing about 500 school children at the World Heritage Site Qutub Minar, she said 19th November is the birth day of late Smt. Indira Gandhi one of the great builders of modern India who was known for her keen concern for preservation and promotion of art and culture of India. She said that there is no country with a heritage more rich and vibrant than ours and the entire world is in awe of our diversity, the great ancient scriptures, monuments and the awesome dances and music of India. The Minister said our built heritage is testimony of our history and each and every child must have access to and take interest in this heritage. She said the scheme Cultural Heritage Young Leadership Programme aims to promote cultural awareness among school children, to develop a love for India’s rich cultural heritage. The Minister said, the focus is on the less-privileged children residing in backward areas through regional languages as a medium of communication as far as possible. The Scheme would broadly consist of distribution of existing audio-visual (AV) materials related to culture amongst schools, production of new AV material including publications related to culture. She said, It will support visits to monuments and museums by students of less-privileged schools. The financial assistance by the Ministry of Culture would consist of upto Rs. 5000/- per set of DVD in case of AV material; upto Rs. 1 lakh for production of CDs/DVDs/Publications for children and upto Rs. 500 per child, per trip in case of visits to monuments, which will include the cost of conveyance, food, entry fee for ticketed monuments/shows etc. Ministry of Culture may double this assistance in cases of exceptional merit.”

Referring to scheme of Financial Assistance for publication of magazines and journals dedicated to Indian Culture and Heritage, Kum Selja said under the scheme Ministry will give financial support of upto Rs. 10 lakh a year, and in exceptional cases, upto Rs. 20 lakh ,to magazines and journals dedicated to India’s cultural heritage. She said the scheme is intended to fill a gap being currently encountered in financial assistance for publication and support to journals and magazines dedicated to India’s culture and heritage. The Minister said it will also cover publication of books on Indian culture and heritage.

The Minister underlined the importance of Archaeological Survey of India in protection and conservation of monuments of the country and said apart from Government efforts it is the duty of each one of us to join hands and be part of this mission of saving built heritage of the country.

Trained volunteers of NGO Itihaas conducted the children around the monument and thereby providing them with quality exposure to their rich heritage. The Minister also gave away certificates to select young heritage volunteers of different schools and cash assistance to schools under the Cultural Heritage Young Leadership Programme