The Government of India has clarified that the National Mission on Cultural Mapping (NMCM), implemented through the Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar (MGMD) initiative, is primarily aimed at documenting India’s rich village-level cultural heritage and does not provide for the registration of artists, artisans, or cultural practitioners. The clarification was made by Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.
According to the Ministry of Culture, the MGMD initiative records cultural information related to artists, artisans, folk performers, and other cultural practitioners as part of village cultural profiles across the country. However, the data is maintained village-wise rather than category-wise, meaning that state-wise figures for registered artists, artisans, or cultural practitioners are not available under the mission.
The government further stated that while NMCM documents cultural assets and practitioners, it does not function as a registration platform. Consequently, the mission does not provide financial assistance, insurance coverage, or social security benefits to artists documented under the programme.
The ministry also clarified that the mission currently does not maintain separate data on cultural clusters. Instead, it documents cultural institutions and folk-art groups as part of village profiles. Illustrative lists include renowned artists, folk musicians, theatre practitioners, and institutions representing traditional art forms such as Yakshagana, Baul singing, Chhau dance, Kalbeliya dance, Warli painting, Gond art, and tribal cultural preservation from various states.
In response to a query regarding the utilisation of cultural mapping data, the government noted that the primary objective of MGMD is documentation of village-level cultural heritage. At present, the mission has no provision to integrate the cultural mapping database with tourism, education, or skill development initiatives.
The clarification underscores the government’s emphasis on preserving and documenting India’s diverse cultural traditions while distinguishing the mission from schemes that provide direct support or welfare benefits to artists and artisans.
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