National Culture Fund: National Culture Fund has completed 52 projects with various donors since its inception

Source: The post is based on the article “National Culture Fund has completed 52 projects with various donors since its inception” published in PIB on 19th July 2022.

What is the News?

The Minister of Culture has informed Lok Sabha about the National Culture Fund.

What is the National Culture Fund?

National Culture Fund(NCF) was set up as a Trust in 1996 under the Charitable Endowment Act, 1890. 

Aim: To establish and nurture partnerships in the field of Culture and Heritage with private and public sectors, government, non-government agencies and mobilize resources for the restoration, conservation, protection and development of India’s rich, natural, tangible and intangible heritage.

Functions of the Fund: To administer and apply the Fund for 1) Conservation, maintenance, promotion, protection, preservation and up gradation of monuments protected or otherwise, 2) Training and development of a cadre of specialists and cultural administrators, 3) Innovations and experiments in arts and for documentation of cultural expressions and forms that have lost their relevance in contemporary scenario.

Composition: NCF is managed by a (Governing) Council and an Executive Committee. 

– The Council is chaired by the Union Minister of Culture.

– The Executive Committee is chaired by the Secretary (Culture).

Funding: The nature of funding has been made very flexible under NCF. For instance, donor/sponsor while making contributions to NCF may indicate a project along with any specific location/aspect and also an agency for execution of the project.