Context: The situation of cultural ministry in the country is in bad shape. It is facing an acute shortage of funds and resources. A little relief can be given to the artists if the proposed Cultural Mapping project is completed in due time.
Background

• The culture ministry has received a marginal budget in the last decade. Further, the budget has been declining for the last 5 years and currently stands at 0.07% of the total budget.
• For 2021-22, it is just 2,688 crores that equal the amount of just 1.5 Rafael jets. The government slashed the budget by 21% since last year while other major countries like the UK, China, Singapore enhanced their cultural budgets. 
• Further, the government’s cultural institutions are plagued by vacancies (ranging from 30% to 70%) and a lack of trained manpower. This has enhanced the troubles for artists and cultural institutions.
• Experts believe that the timely completion of the 2017 cultural mapping project can provide significant relief to the artists.

About National Mission on Cultural Mapping

• The mission was proposed in 2015 but was officially approved in 2017.
• It seeks to envision and address the necessity of preserving the threads of rich Indian Art and Cultural Heritage. It also aims to convert the vast and widespread cultural canvass of India into an objective cultural mapping.

Under this Mission, there are three important objectives as follows

• To undertake the cultural mapping (i.e. database of cultural assets and resources) via running a nationwide cultural awareness programme called Hamari Sanskriti Hamari Pahchan Abhiyan (National Cultural Awareness Abhiyan).
• To run a Nationwide Artist Talent Hunt/Scouting Programme called Sanskritik Pratibha Khoj Abhiyan
• Lastly, to establish a National Cultural Working Place (NCWP) portal. It would be a Centralised Transactional Web Portal with a database and demography of cultural assets and resources including all art forms and artists.

Benefits of Cultural Mapping

• Firstly, it would create an open database that could be used as a resource by the media, researchers, and funders.
• Secondly, it would help locate a derelict cinema and renovate it as an auditorium in a town where there are none.
• Lastly, it would help create transport and tourism infrastructure around a declining crafts village.
• For instance, the European Capitals of Culture program picked Glasgow for a cultural revival. Earlier, the city was surrounded by poverty and crime, but the program converted it into a cultural marvel.

Issues with Cultural Mapping Project

• First, the mission hasn’t received sufficient funds for implementation. Out of the promised 3,000 crore, it has received only 42.78 crores till 2019-20.
• Second, there exists a problem of under utilisation of funds. Out of 42.78 crores, only 1.17 crores have been utilised so far.
• Third, there is no IT infrastructure that can enable the proper identification of artists at the block level.

Fourth, some of the mission’s objectives deviate from the core theme of cultural mapping. For instance,

• It calls for roping artists into the Swachh Bharat and Namami Gange schemes.
• It creates a grading process for artists in which officials decide which artist is “good” or “not so good.
• Also, It focuses on imparting digital literacy to artists and running talent hunt competitions.

Fifth, the mission proposes a Unique Identification Code for every artist/ institution, apparently to facilitate schemes. However, this may enhance surveillance and control over the artists.

Road Ahead

• There should be a deeper survey and understanding of the diversity of the cultural base, without caste, communal and regional hierarchies. The government should allocate sufficient resources to the Ministry of Culture in order to realise the true potential of the mission.