NEW DELHI: A parliamentary panel on transport, tourism and culture has expressed dissatisfaction with budgetary allocation made to the cultural institutions including the national academies under the aegis of the culture ministry. While it suggested that Akademis must augment its resources to become sustainable and resilient, the Committee also stated that the ministry should increase the budgetary allocation to them to increase their efficiency and outreach.
In its 351st report submitted in both Houses of Parliament on Monday, the Committee noted that budget allocation for the ministry is a mere 0.075 per cent of the total budget, which is “grossly inadequate.” It further observed that countries such as China, the United Kingdom, the United States, Singapore and Australia spend roughly two-five per cent of their budget on the promotion of art and culture.
The 31-member Committee chaired by Rajya Sabha MP V Vijayasai Reddy further recommended that the Akademis should explore the option of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) led by funds for ‘protection of national heritage, art and culture including restoration of buildings and sites of historical importance and works of art’.
“In Committee’s view, a long-term guarantee of sustained funding will go a long way in creating a stable environment to implement ambitious plans. Artistic excellence can flourish only in good cultural infrastructure. Thus, the Committee feels that Private partners can also provide financial support through sponsorships, grants, donations, or investments under PPP (public-private partnership) mode,” read the report.
The panel also suggested that funding can be also managed through monetary benefit arrangements of YouTube channels and OTT platforms. For more funding, one of the suggestions mentioned in the report was holding fundraising events such as auctions, concerts or cultural festivals.
“The Committee, therefore, recommends that, in order to develop a strong sustainable cultural environment, Akademis need to take significant steps to attract investments from the Government and private sectors, to develop and maintain their cultural and social infrastructure. Akademis should start thinking outside the box with ‘imagination and a vision’ and draw up a plan to explore and draw up a plan to explore other suitable types of external financing,” stated the report.
The Committee made recommendations to formulate a uniform policy for Akademis pertaining to the tenure of their chairman, president, election of the General Council and its functioning.
It is also advised to include a Member of Parliament (MP) in the Governing Board of each Institution on the lines of arrangement in All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) or other organisations to assist the working of Akademis.