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The Ministry of Culture has implemented the "Global Engagement Scheme" (GES) to promote India's rich cultural heritage internationally, Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha today.
Under the scheme, the Ministry has empanelled artists and groups across various art forms to perform in the Festival of India (FoIs) abroad. Currently, 627 artists/groups are empanelled, including 31 from Uttar Pradesh, the Minister said. The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), functioning under the Ministry of External Affairs, sponsored 52 folk art troupes to present cultural performances abroad over the last five years. For the financial year 2025-26, an amount of Rs. 2.58 crore has been allocated and sanctioned to Indo-Foreign Friendship Societies through Indian Missions abroad for the international promotion of India's arts and culture. The selection criteria for artists under the scheme include prior performances at the State, National, or international level, ability to explain the art form to audiences, and, for curated exhibitions, participation in Category VII only. Foreign nationals applying for empanelment must hold an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card. ICCR also sponsors groups from its empanelled artists based on recommendations from Indian Missions, Posts, and Indian Cultural Centres abroad, considering local preferences and demand for different art forms in different foreign countries. Every year, ICCR draws up an Annual Plan of Action, prioritizing under-represented arts and artists from rural and remote areas of India. This year's theme for cultural projection abroad is "Connecting the World through Tribal, Folk and Rare Indigenous Arts". ICCR has established feedback and monitoring mechanisms to ensure the optimal impact of its cultural troupes, and it has collaborated with State Governments through MoUs to promote India's diverse folk traditions in a sustained manner. (ANI)
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