APPENDIX A (k) : REPORT ON THE SCHEME OF REORGANISATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF MUSEUM AND BAL BHAWAN
Museums -A Conference of Museums Reorganisation and development was held in April 1955 and one of its recommendations was the setting up of an Expert Museum Survey Committee to survey the needs of the Museums and to make concrete proposals in the light of which financial estimates would be worked out. The Committee was accordingly set up with Shri Rai Krishnadasa, Curator Bharat Kala Bhawan, Banaras as Chairman. The Committee made a comprehensive survey of museums in India and their requirements and suggested pattern for the development and reorganisations of museums, during the Second Plan period. These recommendations deal with different kinds of museums, their Staff requirements, Buildings and Equipments, Collections of exhibits and their Display Research and Publication. As these recommendations required detailed examination, it was decided that the matter should be placed before the Central Advisory Board of Museums, for examination and finalisation.
2. The Central Advisory Board of Museums met at New Delhi on 24th and 25th September 1956 and accepted these recommendations with slight modifications. The report of Museum Survey Committee as approved by the Central Advisory Board of Museums will be circulated to the State Governments and the Curators of Museums in India for consideration and implementation.
3. The Central Advisory Board of Museums also resolved re- garding :-
(i) Award of scholarships for training abroad in museum techniques to selected employees of museums as it was expressed that no real development in Museums was possible without adequate trained personnel of various types.
(ii) The Government should also appoint on the C. P. W. D. staff a qualified architect, who had made a special study of museum architecture and make his services available in an advisory capacity to State Governments and other authorities desirous of constructing, redesigning or expanding their museums buildings.
The action on these resolutions will be taken by the Government of India in consultation with the State Governments.
These recommendations of the Museum Survey Committee as approved by the Central Advisory Board of Museums will cost about Rupees four crores during the Second Five-Year Plan period, out of which Rupees two crores have been provided by the Central Government
224
225
for the Second-Five Year Plan. The State Government have also been requested that they should make tentative provision for this purpose. 'A provision of Rs. 7 lakhs have been made in the current year's budget estimates of the Union Government. It was expected to take early decisions in the matter after the views of the State Governments on the recommendations of the Museums Survey Committee, as approved and finalised by the Central Advisory Board of Museums are received.
Bal Bhawan -The Bal Bhawan was set up by a Government Resolution in March, 1956, to afford opportunities to children for education through recreational and physical activities and to promote social and cultural contacts amongst children of all classes. The administration of the Bal Bhawan is vested in a Board of Management set up under the provisions of the Resolution referred to above. The day to day management, is however, looked after by the Director of the Bal Bhawan, who is also the ex-officio Secretary of the Bal Bhawan Board. Shri Rama Krishna of the Bhopal Government was appointed as Director in May, 1955, but later resigned in February,1956. Another Director has, however, been recently appointed (in June, 1956).
The present staff of the Bal Bhawan consists of two part time instructors and one volunteer art's and crafts Instructor, and five senior trainees from Delhi School of social work, in addition to the Director. Daily attendance at Bal Bhawan varies from 300 to 350 boys and girls drawn from various, social-economic family groups. Children's apparatus, such as merry go-round, Sea-saw, Slides, Giant Stride, Teeter latter, Swings and a Mountain Climber for smaller children are provided in a separate enclosure. Arts, crafts, music, dancing and dramatics are also carried on in a temporary structure built for the purpose.