The Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) and the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), an autonomous trust under the Ministry of Culture, signed a Memorandum of Understanding on September 28, 2026, for the preservation, documentation, digitization, research, and promotion of India's diverse tribal cultural heritage. The MoU was signed in New Delhi in the presence of Ms. Ranjana Chopra, Secretary of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, and Dr. K. Anil Kumar, HoD of IGNCA, along with other senior officials from both organizations.
The partnership establishes an institutional framework that combines MoTA's tribal research ecosystem and network of Tribal Research Institutes with IGNCA's academic, archival, research, and curatorial expertise. The collaboration aims to systematically preserve, document, and digitize tribal tangible and intangible cultural heritage, including tribal arts, music, languages, oral traditions, folklore, crafts, customary practices, and traditional knowledge.
Key initiatives under the MoU include the identification and protection of endangered tribal languages, oral traditions, indigenous art forms, and folklore. The partnership will support the development of dedicated galleries and digital museums showcasing tribal arts, artefacts, and the historical contributions of tribal communities to India's freedom struggle. Additionally, youth camps in educational institutions will be organized to promote awareness of tribal cultural values, sustainable conservation practices, and cultural diversity.
The collaboration will facilitate wider dissemination of tribal cultural heritage through exhibitions, museums, publications, digital platforms, cultural festivals, and knowledge-sharing initiatives. It aims to create greater visibility for tribal scholars, artists, artisans, performers, and traditional knowledge holders at national and international platforms. This content may not be financially relevant.