In a bid to promote various forms of Arts in the country, union ministry of Culture has planned to give prize money of maximum Rs 10 lakh for artistes. The ministry will introduce a rating system for artistes and writers and hold competitions across the country in a minimum of 100 genres of arts.
Union minister of Culture Mahesh Sharma said that this is to promote various forms of Arts that many people don’t know. “Every place or region has its own art and culture. The main purpose is to give opportunity to those hidden talents,” said the minister.
The initiative will be part of the National Mission on Cultural Mapping of India programme under which the ministry will introduce a rating system for artistes and writers and hold competitions across the country in a minimum of 100 genres.
Under the scheme, from each genre, the winner at the end will get Rs 10 lakh, the second will get Rs 5 lakh and third Rs 3 lakh. Five other artists from thereon will be paid Rs 40,000 each.
The national level winner - who would have competed with his peers at block, district, state and national level – from each genre will be given an award of Rs 10 lakh, out of which Rs 2 lakh will have to be mandatorily given to the artiste's guru.
N K Sinha, secretary, culture said that officials will visit blocks and districts so that database of artistes can be created. In the end for every genre, whoever emerges as the national champion will be awarded the prize money. It has also been made mandatory for such artistes to give Rs 2 lakh to his guru, so that the guru doesn't feel that he hasn't got his gurudakshina, added the official.
The minister said that the scheme will also encourage peer to peer relations whereby artists from similar genres can bond together, train each other as well as learn from each other. Moreover, it is also open for children, he added.