Parl panel asks govt to sort issues affecting cultural bodies

A parliamentary committee has asked the Culture Ministry to devise an effective mechanism for taking care of the problems faced by national academies and cultural institutions so that they become more responsive and accountable.
The Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture, which tabled its report today in Parliament on 'Functioning of National Akademis and other Cultural Institutions - Issues and Challenges', also said it will monitor any major steps which are required to be taken in this regard.
"The committee... Hopes that the ministry will try to live up to expectations and come out with the most practicable and effective mechanism that may take care of the problems faced today in these bodies as expeditiously as possible.

"It (committee) also calls upon the Akademis and other institutions to utilise this opportunity for making them more responsive, effective and accountable.
"The committee reiterates its observation made earlier that culture in general and arts in particular can never work with an unchanging or unresponsive or bureaucratic template," the report said.
In its earlier observations, the committee had said that the entire field of art and culture did not get the required attention for decades despite the foresight and commitment of the founding fathers who knew the significance of culture and arts in our efforts for nation building.
"But, unfortunately, these institutions over the time are alleged to have developed the vested interests -- monopolised by a few persons or groups who have earned titles of culture vultures or culture czars. Their products are described as being uninspiring, not showcasing the composite culture of India," the committee had said.

It had recommended a comprehensive review of the constitution as well as the working of these autonomous bodies, viz. Sahitya Akademi, Lalit Kala Akademi, Sangeet Natak Akademi, National School of Drama, Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts and National Gallery of Modern Arts to attune them to present day realities and requirements.