To preserve, document and promote various forms of folk art, tribal heritage including tribal art forms & oral traditions throughout the country, the Government of India has set up seven Zonal Cultural Centres (ZCCs) with headquarters at Patiala, Nagpur, Udaipur, Prayagraj, Kolkata, Dimapur and Thanjavur. Annual grant-in-aid is released to these seven ZCCs for organizing various cultural activities and programmes on regular basis in their member States.
To promote the tribal culture, various festivals like Hornbill Festival, Octave, Tribal Dance Festival, Adi Bimb, Adi Sapta Pallav, Adi Lok Rang, Adiwasi Mahotsav etc. are organized through Zonal Cultural Centres (ZCCs) of Ministry of Culture to showcase unique forms of folk dances, songs, cuisine, exhibitions and demonstration of traditional skill in painting, art & craft etc.
Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India implements the schemes of “Support to Tribal Research Institutes and Tribal Research, Information, Education, Communication and Events” under which various activities are undertaken to conserve and promote tribal culture, archives, artefacts, customs and traditions of the tribal communities. Under the Scheme of “Tribal Research, Information, Education, Communication and Events (TRI-ECE)”, reputed research Institutes/ Organizations/ Universities have undertaken various research studies/ publication of books/ documentation including audio visual documentaries etc.
Sahitya Akademi gives Bhasha Samman every year to scholars working in tribal languages and oral traditions. Akademi has also created a special programs and centers for documentation and preservation of oral and tribal literature, Centre for Oral and Tribal Literature. The Akademi has also established a North East Centre for Oral Literature (NECOL) in Agartala to exclusively cater to languages belonging to oral tradition. The centre brings out related publications and also organizes activities and programmes in these languages from time to time.
Sahitya Akademi under Ministry of Culture has instituted a Language Development Board which periodically organizes Language Conventions. Since the inception of the Board, conventions in Awadhi, Banjara, Bundeli, Chakma, Garhwali, Himachali, Kachchi, Kodava, Kumouni, Kurmali, Mising, Rajbansi, Saora, Warli, Rabha, Sadari, Kharia, Baigani, Korku, Kharia and Nyshi languages have been conducted.
The Akademi celebrates International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples on 9th August every year by organizing an All-India Tribal Writers' Meet to involve tribal communities.
Through its project named Archives of Indian Literature the Akademi collects and preserves precious material connected with writers and literature like manuscripts, photographs, audio recordings, video recordings and portraits, etc., which includes tribal writers too.
Artists are engaged by ZCCs from tribal areas to showcase their talents in various cultural programmes/ activities organized by these ZCCs for which they are paid honorarium, DA/TA, boarding & lodging etc. 6476 communities/ artists/ cultural practitioners have been supported in this way during the year 2025.
To involve tribal communities directly in heritage conservation, exhibition and cultural transmission, all the ZCCs organize programmes to show the rich and vivid tribal cultural heritage of their member States, conduct workshops to promote dying and vanishing art forms of tribal communities, undertake documentation of art forms including tribal dances, paintings, music etc. Under Guru Shishya Parampara Scheme, the younger generation is imparted training relating to Indian tribal art forms.
Tribal costumes, musical instruments, daily use utensils, deities of tribal communities etc. are displayed by the ZCCs to give an idea of the tribal culture of the States to tourists and visitors.
To safeguard and showcase India’s tribal heritage, the ZCCs have aptly discharged their responsibilities of preserving and propagating our folk and tribal art forms - dance, music, art and performing arts, etc. The ZCCs have played a pivotal role to preserve, document and disseminate the dynamics of our folk and tribal art forms amongst the new generation of enthusiasts and practitioners.
Further, Research & Documentation Scheme supports the preservation and promotion of fading visual and performing arts across disciplines like music, dance, theatre, literature and fine arts. This initiative documents these traditions in both print and audiovisual formats, with the selection of art forms done in consultation with State Cultural Departments. These ZCCs are also involved in recording and documenting endangered folk/ tribal art forms as well as printing books, reports and stories related to folklore and oral history.
This information was given by Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today
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M Annadurai