Museums Grant Scheme

Source: The Hindu

Why in News?

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism has granted Rs 3.75 crore under the ‘Upgradation of Museums Scheme’ as part of Museums Grant Scheme for the Rs 5-crore project in Eluru town, Andhra Pradesh.

What is the Museums Grant Scheme?

About:

The scheme was launched in 2013.

The Ministry of Culture provides financial assistance under the Scheme to the State Governments and Societies, Autonomous bodies, Local Bodies and Trusts registered under the Societies Act 1860, for setting up new Museums.

It aims to strengthen and modernize the existing museums at the Regional, State and District level.

The scheme also aims to develop at least 1 Central / State Government Museum located in the State Capital each year.

Components:

Establishment and Development of District and Regional Museums:

Under this component museums have been classified into two categories:

Category-I: Government-owned State level Museums and renowned Museums with exquisite collection.

Category-II: all other Museums.

The maximum amount of financial assistance provided under this Component is limited to Rs.10 crore.

Development of Museums in State Capitals:

Financial assistance under this component is provided to existing renowned museums of the Central or State Government located in the Capital cities.

The maximum financial assistance under this component is limited to Rs. 15 Crore per museum.

Establishment and Development of Large-Scale Museums in Public Private Partnership Mode:

Under this component, it is proposed to establish large scale museums as joint ventures with State Governments and the civil society in Public Private Partnership Mode.

The maximum financial assistance provided under this component is 40% of the project cost subject to a maximum of Rs. 20 Crore per museum.

What is a Museum?

A museum is an institution in which objects of historical, scientific, artistic, or cultural interest are stored and exhibited.

ICOM (International Council of Museums) defines museum as “A museum is a non-profit, permanent institution in the service of society and its development, open to the public, which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits the tangible and intangible heritage of humanity and its environment for the purposes of education, study and enjoyment”

ICOM is a non-governmental organization dedicated to museums, maintaining formal relations with UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) and having a consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council.

What are the other Schemes Related to Museums?

The National Portal and Digital Repository for Indian Museums (under the Ministry of Culture) have been launched for digitization of the collections of the Museums.

JATAN: Virtual Museum Software: JATAN is a virtual museum builder software, that enables creation of digital collection management system for Indian museums and is deployed in several national museums across India.