Cultural institutions are institutions with an acknowledged mission to engage in the conservation, interpretation, and dissemination of cultural, scientific, and environmental knowledge, and promote activities meant to inform and educate citizens on associated aspects of culture, history, science, and the environment.
Examples of cultural institutions are museums, libraries, historical or botanical societies, and community cultural centres.
Archaeological Survey of India
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is India’s primary archaeological research organization, reporting directly to the Ministry of Culture.
Its top objective is to safeguard the tangible and physical legacy collected in archaeological sites and historical ruins.
The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act of 1958 governs ASI.
Another essential law that oversees the ASI’s work is the Antiquities and Art Treasure Act of 1972.
Lalit Kala Academy
The National Academy of Art, was set up in 1954.
It is the government’s apex cultural body in the field of visual arts in India.
It is an autonomous body, which is fully funded by the Ministry of Culture.
The Akademi is an institution that has rendered service to the nation in the arts sphere long before the world woke up to the global impact of Indian art.
It has established, preserved and documented a permanent collection that reflects the vitality, complexity and unfolding patterns of modern and contemporary art in India.
Sangeet Natak Academy
India’s national academy of music, dance and drama, is a pioneer in the creation of modern India.
The ephemeral quality of the arts, and the need for their preservation led to the adapting of a democratic system in which the common man had the opportunity to learn, practice and propagate the arts.
In 1945, the Asiatic Society of Bengal submitted a proposal for the creation of a National Cultural Trust consisting of three academies-an academy of dance, drama and music; an academy of letters and an academy of art and architecture.
It led to the creation of three national academies after Independence. The national Academy named Sangeet Natak Akademi, was the first of these entities to be established by a resolution of the Ministry of Education.
In 1961, the Sangeet Natak Akademi was reconstituted by the Government as a society and registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 (as amended in 1957).
India’s National Academy of Letters promotes literature in 24 languages of India recognized by it.
It organizes programmes, confers Awards and Fellowships on writers in Indian languages and publishes books throughout the year and in 24 recognized languages.
Over the past six decades, the Akademi has published over 7000 books in 24 languages.
The Akademi publishes original works and also works in translation – fiction, poetry, drama and criticism-covering classical, medieval, premodern and contemporary literature. Sahitya Akademi publishes three journals, Indian Literature (bi-monthly in English), Samkaleena Bhartiya Sahitya (bi-monthly in Hindi) and Sanskrit Pratibha (quarterly in Sanskrit).
The Akademi is also involved in promoting quality children’s literature.
The Akademi’s Head Office is situated in New Delhi with offices in Kolkata, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai.
Akademi Awards are most prestigious literary awards in India.
National Mission for Manuscripts
The National Mission for Mansuscripts was launched in February, 2003 by the Ministry of Cultureto save the most valuable of our cultural inheritance, i.e., manuscripts.
The mission seeks to unearth and preserve the vast manuscript wealth of India.
An ambitious five year project, the Mission seeks not merely to locate catelogue and preserve India’s manuscripts but also to enhance access, spread awareness and encourage their use for educational purpose.
Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH)
Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage was founded in 1984, is an autonomous NGO for preservation of Indian Art and Cultural Heritage.
It’s motto is “Dedicated to Conservation”.
Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA)
The IGNCA is an independent organization that specializes in art study, restoration, display, and distribution.
It was founded in 1985.
They promote critical and creative writing, despite their focus on the visual arts.
The principal goal of the IGNCA is to establish itself as a prominent reference centre for India’s oral and visual art forms.
Centre for Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT)
India’s Ministry of Culture established the Centre for Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT) to connect education and culture.
It was founded in 1979 at the request of Dr. Kapila Vatsyayan and Smt. Kamala Devi Chattopadhyay.
Even though CCRT is an independent institution, the government has mandated that it strengthen its structure.
The CCRT has its headquarters in New Delhi and three Regional Centres in Udaipur in the west, Hyderabad in the south, and Guwahati in the northeast to encourage the broader transmission of Indian art and culture.
National Archives of India (NAI)
An organization that dates back to the British colonial era was established to maintain India’s administrative records.
According to the Ministry of Culture’s Memorandum on the National Archives of India, NAI’s key aims are:
Providing increased access to archive collections to aid in the conservation of Indian documentary cultural legacy and ensuring that it is passed down through the generations
Organizing and maintaining a massive quantity of records in a systematic manner
Strengthening relationships between archive institutions and archivists, particularly on a national and international scale.
Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR)
The ICCR was founded under the Ministry of Culture’s aegis to carry out programs that showcase Indian culture across the world.
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, who trusted passionately in developing cultural interactions with different nations and civilizations, formed it in 1950.
The ICCR’s mission is to design and execute policies and programs profoundly rooted in India’s worldwide cultural linkages.
The ICCR sponsors a wide range of international visual and performing artsprograms.
Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR)
The Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) was set up in 1972 after the Societies Registration Act.
It is self-supporting and funded by the University Grants Commission (UGC).
It was established to promote and preserve Indian culture.
It was a hub for historians to exchange ideas.
Nehru Memorial Museum and Library
The Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens for the imperial capital in 1929-30.
It was the official house of the last British Commander-in-Chief, and it was known as the Teen Murti House.
After British departed India, it became the home of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first Prime Minister.
He resided here for 16 years, and after he died in 1964, the government turned Teen Murti House into a museum and library in his honour.