MUSEUMS AND LIBRARIES
Cultural Scholarships
Scholarships to Young Workers in Different Cultural Fields The Scheme seeks to provide facilities to young artists (age- group 18-28 years) of outstanding promise for advance training within India in different cultural fields, viz. Classical Hindustani and Karnatak music (vocal and instrumental), Classical Western music, Bharatnatyam, Kathakali, Manipuri, Odissi, Kuchipudi, Kathak and other classical forms of Indian dance, drama, painting, sculpture, book- illustration and design.
Twenty-five awards were made under the scheme during 1972-73, and the same number of scholarships will be awarded in 1973-74. Each scholar is paid Rs. 250 per month to meet living expenses, and other expenses on travelling, books, artmaterial or other equipment, and tuition or training charges, if any. Normally the duration of scholarships is for a period of two years, but in exceptional cases it may be extended by one more year.
Cultural Talent Search Scholarships Scheme This scheme has been formulated with the object of providing facilities to outstanding children in the age-group 10-14 years studying in recognised schools to develop their talent in the fields of music, dance, painting and sculpture. The scholarship will be tenable for one year at a time and, will be renewable from year to year till the completion of the secondary stage of education or up to the age of 18 years, which ever is earlier. The value of scholarships will be Rs. 600 per annum for those
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children who will receive' specialised training at the place of their residence and Rs. 1,200 per annum, for those who will receive training elsewhere. In addition, actual tution fee will also be reimbursed to the scholarship holder subject to a ceiling of Rs. 1,000 per annum.
The implementation of the scheme has been started from current year. The scheme was announced in October, 1972, and steps are being taken for selection of candidates. During 1972-73, 75 scholarships will be awarded under the scheme. From the next year onwards 125 scholarships will be awarded each year.
Programmes for Assistance for Cultural Activities
Financial Assistance to Eminent, Writers, Artists, etc., in
Indigent Circumstances Originally introduced during 1952-53, the scheme was revised in April, 1961. All grants under the revised scheme are given on a sharing basis, the State and Central Governments bear the expenditure in the ratio of 1:2. Expenditure on grantees from Union Territories is borne entirely by the Central Government. About 1,200 persons are receiving assistance under the scheme. Due to paucity of funds, it has not been possible to consider fresh cases since 1969. A proposal to reactivise this scheme so as to consider fresh cases under it is currently under consideration.
A comprehensive proposal for the award of fellowships to outstanding artists in the fields of performing, literary and plastic arts is currently under consideration. This is to replace the earlier scheme which was meant to grant maintenance allowance to writers, artists etc. of regional and national fame who may be in indigent circumstances.
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Institutions and Organisations Engaged in Literary and Cultural
Activities, and Special Cultural Studies During 1972-73 a few institutions Eke the Institute of Traditional Cultures, Madras, Asiatic Society, Calcutta, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bombay, etc. were assisted.
The Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies, Varanasi, which is fully financed by the Central Government, started functioning in November, 1967. The main aim of the Institute is to prepare students for Mad- hyama and for Degrees of Shastri, Acharya, etc. As a first step in the Development of this Institute, the Shastri Course with an annual intake of 30 students has been started from the academic year 1971-72. The annual intake to the Acharya course has been increased from 13 to 15. Some additional administrative and teaching staff has also been sanctioned for the Institute. Proposals for the further development of the Institute are under consideration.
The School of Buddhist Philosophy, Leh, was established in 1959 as an autonomous organisation. It has courses leading up to Uttar Madhyama qualification. The entire expenditure on the School is borne by the Government of India. A new building for the School has been constructed in Leh.
The Namgyal Institute of Tibetology, Gangtok, is an institution engaged in research on Buddhist Tibetanism. The Institute is being aided both by the Sikkim Darbar and the Government of India each of whom has decided to increase the amount of maintenance grant to the Institute from Rs. 50,000 to Rs. One lakh annually. Government of India have also decided to institute two Research Fellowships in Tibetanism each of the value of Rs. 400 per annum.
The Daira-tul-Maarif-il-Osmania, Hyderabad is being financially assisted by the Government of India to the extent of Rs. 50,000 per annum in its programme of publication of
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manuscripts in Arabic and Persian. The working of this Institution was reviewed by a Visiting Committee during the year. The recommendations made by the Visiting Committee are currently under consideration.
During 1972-73 Cultural Institutions and Organisations like the Rama Krishna Mission, Institute of Culture, Calcutta, P.E.N. All India Centre, Bombay, Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial Trust, Amritsar, were given financial assistance. It is proposed to send shortly a Visiting Committee to review the financial requirements of the Asiatic Society, Calcutta and the Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture, Calcutta and the pattern of Central Government's assistance to them.
A proposal for the integrated development of Nava-Nalanda Mahavihara and Huen-Tsang Memorial Hall is under consideration in consultation with the Government of Bihar.
Museums and Art Galleries
Reorganisation and Development of Museums Financial assistance is extended to private museums in the country for minor building extensions and repairs, purchase of display and laboratory equipment, bringing out of publications and training of museum staff on the basis of the applications from the private museums received through the State Governments etc. concerned, on the recommendations of the State Governments and the funds available for the purpose. The Scheme also provides for financial assistance to a few scholars for research in the fields of museology. During 1972-73 grants totalling Rs. 4,39,975 have been sanctioned under the scheme so far.
Museum Camp The tenth All India Museum Camp was held from January 1-10, 1973 at Bangalore to discuss the subject of "Museums as a source of diverse branches of knowledge". Museologists and Museum workers from all over the country attended the Camp.
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National Museum, New Delhi Established in 1949, the National Museum is one of the premier museums in the country. During the year under review. it continued to expand its collections by purchase of art objects as also through exchange and gifts received.
The Museums organised a new gallery of coins and decorative arts. A special exhibition of tribal and folk images consisting of textiles, handicrafts, paintings, etc. was organised. To honour the 25th anni- versary of India's Independence, an 'Exhibition of Rare Acquisitions, 1949-72' consisting of masterpieces of Indian art was held. A special exhibition on 'Bengal Folk Art' consisting of masks, folk paintings, metal ware, etc. was also held. Another exhibition entitled 'Akbar and his times' was inaugurated by Shri Gopal Swarup Pathak, Vice President of India. on the 6th December, 1972.
The Fourth Short-term Course in Museology for the year 1972-73 is being held in the Museum from 1-1-1973. In-service personnel from various state museums such as Chandigarh, Assam. Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, and Tripura, were given theoretical and practical training in different aspects of museology. A onemonth orientation course for Customs Officers was organised in the Museum to give the officers orientation in detecting cases of smuggling of art objects.
Special lectures and classes were held in the Museum for students of schools and colleges besides gallery lectures to groups of students and interested visitors. Illustrated lectures on art and culture of India were delivered in the Museum auditorium to the Fellows from the Institute of Constitutional and Parliament Studies, New Delhi, and similar other cultural groups.
Central Conservation Laboratory The first Unesco supported nine-month training course in conservation of cultural property concluded on November 3, 1972. Eight students including one from Iran attended the
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course. The Laboratory provided consultative service to various museums in the country. On a request from the Indonesian Government, one of the officers was deputed to treat the objects in the Central Museum, Djakarta, and to provide training to its staff. A team is currently working in Sikkim to transfer the wall-painting from one of the monastries. Another team was sent to Jaipur to help the Depart- ment of Archaeology and Museums for conservation of wall-paintings in the famous Amber Palace. Research projects for the use of polyester emulsions in conservation field are under way.
Indian Museum, Calcutta The Indian Museum, Calcutta, is one of the largest in the East with collections unique for their ric and variety. Comprising six sections, viz., Art, Archaeology, Anthropology, Geology, Zoology and Industrial Botany, the Museum is administered by an autonomous Board of Trustees.
Under the publication programme of the Indian Museum, the following publications were brought out during the year:
(a) Set of coloured Picture Post-Cards (Sculptures in the Archaeology Section).
(b) Set of coloured Picture Post-cards (Textiles in the Art Section).
(c) Indian Museum Bulletin Vol. V No. 2.
The modelling section of this unit prepared altogether about 200 plaster replicas of selected objects from the Museum's collections for sale to the general public as well as for supply to educational and cultural institutions on special request. Its work also included the preparation of dioramas and replicas of objects for the Museum's mobile exhibition on archaeology.
The small Unit set up in 1966 has by now developed into a conservation Laboratory, dealing with the numerous conservation problems that arise in a Museum with such large and varied
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collections. During the year, the laboratory treated in all about 250 objects, including paintings, textiles, metal objects, paper manuscripts, objects of, wood, ivory, bamboo, cane, leather, etc. Advisory as well as technical assistance was also rendered to other allied institutions in and around Calcutta.
The Weekly students programme has become a regular feature of the Museum's activities. It consists of guided tours of tours of the various galleries for the students, screening of educational films and lectures on selected topics.
The Sarnath Bay of the Gupta Gallery in the Archaeology Section was reorganised on modern lines, by replacing the old masonary pedestals by vertical wood-and -glass show-cases. Work is also in progress, in the art section on the setting up of a new gallery on Tibetan temple banners.
During the period under review, the Museum arranged a temporary exhibition on its recent acquisitions, which included objects of special interest from the Art. Archaeology and Anthropology sections such as paintings, textiles, manuscripts, ivories, etc.
Victoria Memorial Hall, Calcutta The Victoria Memorial, a museum of modern Indian history, presents a general view of India's history since the late 17th century with the aid of its rich and varied collections of paintings, illuminated manuscripts, documents, personalia items and other objects of popular appeal. The National Leaders' Gallery portrays the various stages of the country's struggle for freedom besides the makers of modern India. A life-size threequarter portrait (in oils) of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad is the latest addition to the National Leaders' Gallery. Other acquisitions include several number or old periodicals and newspaper cuttings on Indian freedom movement, rare old photographs of persons and events connected with the freedom movement, photostat copies of. documents on the same topic besides a number of coins of pre and post independent India.
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The Victoria Memorial Act, 1903, has been amended this year so as to provide for, specific qualifications in respect of nominees of the Trustees and the Central Government on the Board of Trustees, and also to make Minister in-charge of the Ministry, concerned with the matters relating to the Victoria Memorial Hall, a Trustee in place of the President of India. It is also proposed to give a new slant to the Victoria Memorial Hall so as to convert it into a period museum relating to the years 1757 to 1947 and to depict the freedom struggle of the Indian People.
Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, New Delhi The Nehru Memorial Museum and Library continued to develop its activi ties in various spheres during the year under review. The daily average of visitors was 3,233; on Sundays and holidays this figure rose to 4,087. The exhibition on the life, work and thought of Sri Aurobindo continued to draw large crowds. Another exhibition of sketches, photographs and documents connected with the life and work of Rammohun Roy was put up in October 1972 and was very well received.
The Library continued to develop as a pre-eminent centre of research on modern India, Indian nationalism and Jawaharlal Nehru. The Library added 5,285 books to its holdings bringing the total number of volumes to 49,845, The Library has also built up a large collection of newspapers and periodicals. The "Quarterly Lists of Additions" to the Library and the "Monthly Documentation Lists on the history of modern India" were issued regularly.
The manuscript collection was further enriched by the acquisition of a number of valuable collections of unpublished records and correspondence including those of Shri Jayaprakash Narayan, Sir P. S. Sivaswamy Aiyer, Shri Srinivasa Iyenagar, Dr. Shyama Prasad Mookerjee, Shri N. C. Chatterjee, Dr. N. S. Hardiker, Kurur Namboodiripad, Sir Mirza Ismail, Shri Aswani Coomar Banerjee and Shri Hiralal Shastri.
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Considerable progress was made in the project of microfilming old Indian newspapers. The Library of photographs was further enriched by new acquisitions.
The Oral History Project' made further headway with 99 additional interviews bringing the total number of interviews to 1,098 by 415 different persons. Among those interviewed during the period were Dr. Mohammed Hatta, Shri Jayaprakash Narayan, Smt. Prabhavati Narayan, Shri P. Kodanda Rao, Shri Uma Shankar Dikshit, Shri Naranjan Singh Gill and Shri B. P. Sinha.
A number of lectures bearing, on the different aspects of modern Indian History were delivered under the auspices of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library. Among these were a series of nine lectures on life and times of Rammohun Roy. Another series of lectures on 'India's Foreign Policy in the Nehru era' is in progress.
A collection of essays entitled Studies in Modern Indian History was published. In addition, an illustrated publication Nehru and the Modern World was issued. An attractive scroll with extracts from the 'Tryst with Destiny' speech and brochures in various languages on the museum and library were also brought out during this period.
Salar Jung Museum, Hyderabad The Salar Jung Museum, Hyderabad, entered the twelfth year of its existence as a central museum under the administrative control of an autonomous Board with the Governor of Andhra Pradesh as its ex-officio Chairman. The collection of Museum comprises art objects drawn from various parts of the world, which includes some rare and valuable manuscripts also. The Museum's Library contains more than 55,000 printed books and 7,700 manuscripts.
Among the various educational and other cultural activities undertaken by the Museum and its Library during the period, mention may be made of two temporary exhibitions held this
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year, visits by students to the Museum from various educational insti- tutions, carrying out of improvements in the display arrangements in the various galleries, and the reorganisation of the galleries on a scientific basis, preservation and treatment of various art objects of the Museum, etc.
National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi The Gallery, as a depository of contemporary art, continued to grow in popularity. During the period under reveiw; 66 art objects including 5 sculptures, 24 paintings, 31 graphics, 4 drawings and 2 photographs were accessioned. Out of the above 23 graphics were received as gifts from Shri Bimal Bannerjee of New York. One painting and one graphic by Shri Narendra were presented to the Gallery through his brother and one painting entitled "the cosmos' by Lee, Se Duk, was received as gift of the artist through Korean Embassy. The following exhibitions were arranged under the special exhibition programme :
(a) An exhibition of Computer Art of 157 works was held in April, 1972;
(b) An exhibition of paintings and graphics by Narendra was arranged from June 21 to July 21, 1972; and
(c) An exhibition: Amar Nath Sehgal-Sculptures, Graphics and Drawings 1947-72, was inaugurated by Shri G. S. Pathak, Vice-President of India, on November 16, 1972 and it remained open till December 16, 1972.