Full Text
REGD. No. D. L.-33004/99
The Gazette of India
CG-DL-E-08052024-254041
EXTRAORDINARY
PART II—Section 3—Sub-section (ii)
PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY
No. 1801]
NEW DELHI, THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2024/VAISAKHA 12, 1946
2868 GI/2024
MINISTRY OF CULTURE
(Natural Culture Fund)
NOTIFICATION
New Delhi, the 1st May, 2024
S.O.1893(E). Whereas the Secretary to the Government of India, Ministry of Human Resource
Development, Department of Culture, being the person who proposes to apply the funds of the National Fund, New
Delhi, in trust for charitable purposes, has applied for vesting the Fund mentioned in Schedule ‘A' annexed hereto in
the Treasurer of Charitable Endowments for India and for settlement of a Scheme for the management and
administration of the said Fund;
It is hereby notified that the Central Government in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 4 and 5 of
the Charitable Endowments Act, 1890 (6 of 1890), and upon the application as aforesaid, and with the concurrence of
the said Secretary hereby order that the moneys set out in Schedule 'A' annexed hereto shall, as from the date of
publication of this notification in the Official Gazette, be vested in the Treasurer of Charitable Endowments for India
to be held by him and his successors in office upon trust to told the said moneys and the income thereof in accordance
with the Trust and terms specified in the Scheme in Schedule 'B', annexed hereto for the management and
administration of the said Fund:
And it is hereby further notified that the Scheme specified in Schedule 'B' annexed hereto has, under sub-
section (1) of section 5 of the said Act, been settled for the administration of the said Fund and under sub-section (3)
of section 5 of the said Act, it is hereby further ordered that it shall come into force from the date of the publication of
this Notification in the Official Gazette.
[F.No.1-30/2022-NCF]
SHRI. GURMEET SINGH CHAWLA, Jt. Secy.
Note: The notification was published in the gazette of India, Extraordinary, part-II section 3- sub-section (ii) vide
notification number S.O.832(E) dated 28th November, 1996
SCHEDULE 'A'
National Culture Fund
Contribution of rupees two crores provided out of the Plan budget of the Department of Culture, Government
of India, towards the National Culture Fund.
SCHEDULE 'B'
Directions for the Administration of the National Culture Fund
1. Short title and commencement
i. These directions may be called the National Culture Fund directions, 1996
ii. It shall come into force from the date of its publication in the Official Gazette.
2. Definitions- In this direction, unless the context otherwise requires –
a. "Chairman" means the Chairman of the Council;
b. "Committee” means the executive committee constituted under paragraph 11
c. Council" means the Council constituted under paragraph 7;
d. "Fund" means the National Culture fund;
e. "Member Secretary” means the Member-Secretary of the Council nominated under paragraph 7;
f. "paragraph" means the paragraph of the Scheme;
g. "President" means the President of the Committee;
h. "Properties” means properties belonging to the Fund.
3. Objects of the Fund The objects of the Fund shall be:
i. to administer and apply the moneys of the Fund for conservation, maintenance, promotion, protection,
preservation and upgradation of monuments protected or otherwise;
ii. to conduct studies relating to the artistic, scientific and technical problems involved in the conservation,
maintenance, promotion, protection, preservation and rehabilitation of cultural and natural heritage;
iii. to impact training to staff and specialists at all levels in the fields of identification, protection, conservation,
preservation and rehabilitation of cultural heritage both tangible and intangible as well as the natural heritage;
iv. protection and promotion of artistic endeavour in all its forms, particularly innovative experiments in arts;
v. the promotion and reinforcement of oral and other intangible forms of cultural expression and recording
documentation of forms that are dying out or are threatened with extinction;
vi. the promotion and reinforcement of inter-disciplinary research in areas such as interaction between
traditional values and development process in the cultural domain that make up the contemporary dynamics
of cultural change;
vii. the construction of additional space to accommodate new and special galleries in existing museums and
construction of new museums;
viii. the formulation of local, municipal or regional strategies of cultural development seen as integral to the
overall development of our society;
ix. the establishment or reinforcement of institutions, structure and facilities whose purpose is cultural or artistic,
including mechanisms available for support of such activities;
x. the training of specialists in cultural activities, with a particular emphasis on creation of a cadre of cultural
managers and administrators;
xi. to supply of equipment to governmental and non-governmental organizations with a view to maintain,
promote, protect and preserve the cultural and natural heritage;
xii. to promote international cultural cooperation in particular exchanges which may promote the development of
indigenous expertise and human resources as also the activities which are within the ambit of Cultural
Exchange Programmes entered into between India and other countries;
xiii. to provide low interest or interest free loans for projects and activities relatable to any of the aforesaid
objects.
4. Assets of the Fund:
A. In addition to the moneys the particulars of which are given in Schedule A to this Notification, the assets of the
Fund shall include:
i. rupees seventeen crores and fifty lakhs to be provided out of the Plan Budget of the Department of Culture,
Government of India, and
ii. all such grants and contributions, both recurring and non-recurring from the Central Government and the
State Governments as well as voluntary donations and endowments from any other sources, whenever
received.
B. The Fund may also accept contributions from statutory bodies created under the Acts of Parliament or of the
State Legislatures, the United Nations and its associated bodies, other International Organisations, Private and
Public Corporate Sectors, Trusts, Societies and individuals:
Provided that the decision of the Council in case of acceptance or otherwise of money from an individual or an
Organisation shall be final.
5. Vesting of the assets of the Fund: The assets of the Fund shall be vested in the Treasurer of Charitable
Endowments for India under the Scheme.
6. The Treasurer of Charitable Endowments shall not act in the management or administration of the Fund but
subject to any general or special directions given by the Central Government such management and
administration shall be vested in the Council.
7. Constitution of the Council – For the management and administration of the Fund, the Central Government
shall, by notification in the Official Gazette, constitute a Council consisting of the following members,
namely: -
A.
1. Hon'ble Minister of Culture Chairman (Ex-officio)
2. Secretary to the Government of India, Member (Ex-officio)
Ministry of Culture
3. Joint Secretary to the Government of India, Member (Ex-officio)
Ministry of Culture
4. Financial Adviser Member (Ex-officio)
Ministry of Culture
5. Director General Member (Ex-officio)
Archaeological Survey of India
Non-official members
6. Not less than 12 and not more than 19 eminent Members
persons representing various fields including
corporate sector, private foundations and not-
for-profit voluntary organizations
7. An officer not below the rank of the Deputy Member Secretary
Secretary to the Government of India in the (Ex-officio)
Ministry of Culture
B. From amongst the non-official Members, one
Member may be nominated as the Vice-
Chairperson and one Member as the Joint
Secretary to the Council
8. Meetings of the Council: The Council shall meet once in a year to decide all policy matters or on issues
relating to the Fund on which its decisions are sought by the Committee.
9. Quorum of the meetings of the Council and decisions of the Council:
i. The quorum for a meeting of the Council shall be 2/3rd of the strength of the Council of which at least 3
should be ex-officio members including the Chairman.
ii. All matters on which decision of Council is required shall be decided by consensus failing which by majority
of votes of the members present and voting on the question and in case of equality of votes, the Chairman
shall have a casting vote.
10. Conduct of business of the Council:
i. The Council may function notwithstanding any vacancy in its constitution provided, however, that at no time
the number of vacancies shall be such that the total number of Members is less than the quorum required for
a meeting of the Council.
ii. Subject to the provisions herein contained, the Council may, with the previous approval of the Central
Government, frame and vary from time to time, as it thinks fit, bye-laws for the conduct of its business.
11. Executive Committee: For the administration of day-to-day working of the Fund, the Central Government
shall, by notification in the Official Gazette, constitute an Executive Committee consisting of following
members:
(1) Secretary to the Government of India, Ministry of President (Ex-officio)
Culture
(2) Joint Secretary to the Government of India, Ministry Member (Ex-officio)
of Culture
(3) Financial Adviser, Ministry of Culture Member (Ex-officio)
(4) Director General Member (Ex-officio)
Archaeological Survey of India
(5) 6 Members of the Council to be nominated keeping in Members
view their experience in management and fund raising
(6) Member-Secretary of the Member Secretary
Council (Ex-officio)
The Executive Committee shall have the authority to call upon the experts to assist it in its deliberations.
12. Quorum:
i. The quorum for a meeting of the Executive Committee shall be 2/3rd of the strength of the Committee of
which at least 2 should be ex-officio members including the President.
ii. All matters on which the decision of the Committee is required shall be decided by consensus failing which
by majority of votes of the members present and voting on the question and in case of equality of votes, the
President shall have a casting vote.
13. Meetings of the Committee: The Committee shall meet as often as necessary but not less than four time in a
year.
14. Framing of bye-laws: The Council may from time to time, with the previous approval of the Central
Government, make bye-laws: -
a. for regulation, management, appointment of officers and their terms and conditions and for any other purpose
connected with the execution and management of the objects of the Fund; and
b. for the conduct of business of the Council.
15. Investment:
a. The Council shall decide on the overall policy of investment of the Fund. The Committee shall invest the
assets of the Fund in any one or more of the mode of investments for the time being authorized by law for the
investment of the trust money as the Committee may think proper.
b. Short term investment: The Committee may invest moneys of the Fund not immediately required on short
term basis in fixed deposits/certificates
16. Delegation of powers:
i. The Council may delegate any of its powers excluding the power to decide policy matters and the power to
frame bye-laws to the Committee.
ii. The Committee may delegate to one of its members or a sub-committees created for the purpose such as its
powers as may, in the opinion of the Committee, are required to be exercised merely for ministerial acts
involving no discretion or are considered necessary conforming to common usage.
17. Contracts: All contracts and other assurances shall be executed in the name of the Council and signed on their
behalf by the Joint Secretary, in-charge of National Culture Fund, Ministry of Culture, in his capacity as the
Member of the Council, or any Member of the Committee duly authorized by the Council.
18. Additional endowments:
i. The Council may accept any endowment, donation crowd funding or other contributions in augmentation of
the Fund or towards actualization of any of its objects.
ii. The Council may also accept endowments, donations or other contributions for any special purpose
connected with any of the Schemes not inconsistent with or calculated to impede the due working of the
provisions of the Scheme.
iii. It would be possible for a donor to the Fund to indicate a project along with any specific location/aspect for
funding and also an agency for the execution of the project while making donations to Fund subject to
general policy guidelines and rules, if any, in this behalf. The Council or the Committee in case the power to
accept endowments, donations or other contributions have been delegated to it, shall respect the choice of
the donor to the extent possible. When a donor's project covers a World Heritage Site the matter would need
to be specifically considered keeping in view the need to take care of the environment surrounding the site, as
also the fact that adequate funds for it might already be available from conventional sources.
19. Eligibility of financial assistance: Any State Government or voluntary organization with a known record of
service in the field of art and culture and registered under the Societies Registration Act 1860 (21 of 1860) or
registered as Public Trust at least for the last two years will be eligible for applying for financial assistance
from the Fund for a specific project. Individuals are not entitled to financial assistance under this Scheme.
20. Application to Council: Applications for financial assistance from or under the Fund from voluntary
organizations shall be in the Form specified in Appendix annexed to this Scheme.
21. The Financial assistance or the loans under the Fund shall be decided by the Committee taking into
consideration the project, the status of the executing body as also the wishes of the donors: Provided that
there should be no upper limit of financial assistance under the Fund.
22. Consideration of Application: All applications for financial assistance or the loans from the Fund shall be
considered and disposed of by the Committee and the Council shall be informed about such decisions:
Provided that before any application is considered, the President of the Committee, if he thinks it necessary
to do so, refer such application to the State Government concerned or any other body for expressing its views
thereon.
23. Power to stop financial assistance: The President of the Committee, if he thinks it necessary to do so, and for
reasons to be recorded in writing, may withhold or reduce any undisbursed financial assistance, made under
the Scheme.
24. Conditions of financial assistance: It shall be the condition of financial assistance to any voluntary
organization that the voluntary organization that the voluntary organization or as the case may be, maintain a
separate account of the financial assistance received, render a full account of the financial assistance within
the stipulated time, shall furnish utilization certificate at the time specified in this behalf, shall make available
audited accounts of the financial assistance received within the stipulated time and assist the officers of the
Fund or such other Officers who may be so authorized in this behalf in the inspection of the programmes
executed or books maintained by such organizations.
25. Duration of Membership:
1. A member of the Council or Committee shall cease to be a Member if he dies or resigns his membership or
becomes of unsound mind or insolvent or is convicted of a criminal offence involving moral turpitude.
2. The nominations of non-official members on the Council and the Committee shall be done by the Central
Government in the Ministry of Culture
3. A non-official Member shall be appointed for a period of three years.
4. A member shall be eligible for re-nomination also.
26. Powers and Functions of Member Secretary: It shall be duty of the Member Secretary:
a. to be the custodian of all records of the Council and Committee:
b. to conduct the official correspondence on behalf of the Council and Committee;
c. to issue all notices for convening the meetings of the Council and Committee;
d. to keep minutes of all meetings of the Council and Committee and of such other bodies, the responsibilities
for convening whose meetings rest with him;
e. to manage the properties of the moneys under the Fund, to maintain accounts and execute all contracts on
behalf of the Council;
f. to prepare the budget relating to the administrative expenses of the Council and Committee such as
expenditure on travelling allowances and daily allowances of the members which shall be a legitimate charge
on the Fund;
g. to exercise all other powers and execute such other functions as may be assigned to him by the Council
and/or Committee.
27. Allocation of funds: The Committee shall determine the proportion of the total moneys of the Fund which
shall be applied for the purpose of this Scheme in a particular financial year.
28. Withdrawal of fund:
i. withdrawal of funds from the accounts of the Council shall be regulated in a manner to be determined by the
Committee.
ii. Such withdrawals shall be made by cheques / RTGS or requisitions (as the case may be) signed by the
Member-Secretary in case the amount does not exceed Rs.2,00,000/- and duly signed by Member Secretary
and another member authorized by the Committee in other cases.
29. The Committee may delegate any administrative or financial powers to a person or persons as it may
consider necessary for the discharge of its functions and such persons shall draw remuneration and travelling
allowances as may be determined by the Committee in each case.
30. Remuneration to members and officers:
i. No remuneration shall be paid to any of the members of the Council and Committee except travelling and
daily allowance at rates to be determined by the Council.
ii. Official members of the Council and Committee will draw travelling and daily allowance, as admissible to
them, from the source from which they draw their salaries.
iii. Non-official members of the Council and Committee will be entitled to draw such remuneration and
travelling and other allowances as may be specified by the Council in bye-laws made by it.
31. Audit of accounts:
i. Accounts of all moneys and properties and of income and expenditure of the Fund shall be maintained by the
Member Secretary and audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India who shall certify that the
expenditure from the Fund has been incurred in accordance with the provisions of this Scheme.
ii. A statement of the annual accounts of the Fund shall be approved by the Council and after the same has been
audited and certified by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India and approved by the Council shall be
submitted by the Member Secretary of the Council to the Government of India every year. These accounts
shall be laid on the Table of the House.
32. Annual report: A report on the working of the National Culture Fund of every year shall be prepared in the
month of June by the Member Secretary of the Council and after approval of the Council, presented to the
Government of India. This report shall be laid on the table of the house of Parliament.
APPENDIX
(See para 20 of Schedule B)
National Culture fund 1996
Standard Form for Submission of Requests
+-----+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+
| 1. | Name and address of the organization* | |
+-----+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+
| 2. | Nature of the organization | |
+-----+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+
| 3. | Date of establishment of the organization | |
+-----+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+
| 4. | Brief history and a brief account of activities of the | |
| | organization since its inception (Attach separate sheet, if necessary) | |
+-----+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+
| 5. | Whether the organization is registered under any law for the | |
| | time being in force? If so, the details thereof. | |
+-----+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+
| 6. | Whether the organisation is of National/State/District level | |
+-----+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+
| 7. | Whether the organization is in receipt of assistance from the | |
| | Ministry of Culture or any other Ministry/Department of the | |
| | Govt. of India? If so, the details thereof. | |
+-----+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+
| 8. | Whether the organization is in receipt of assistance from the | |
| | Central Government including autonomous bodies under it, | |
| | as also the statutory bodies, for any Programme? If so, the | |
| | details thereof. | |
+-----+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+
| 9. | Whether the organization is in receipt of assistance from the | |
| | State Government for any Programme? If so, the details | |
| | thereof including amount, year and purpose separately for | |
| | each grant. | |
+-----+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+
| 10. | Whether the organization receives grant from any | |
| | autonomous organization of the Ministry of Culture? If so, | |
| | the details thereof, including amount, year and purpose | |
| | separately for each grant. | |
+-----+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+
| 11. | Whether the organization receives grants in cash or kind | |
| | from any other organization in India or in a foreign country? | |
| | If so, the details thereof. *Organisation(s) where appears in | |
| | the proforma also include the State Government. | |
+-----+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+
| 12. | Details of the proposal: | |
| | a. Title of the project and place of implementation | |
| | | |
| | b. Project implementation dates: | |
| | i. date of commencement | |
| | ii. date of termination | |
| | c. Type of assistance requested financial contribution | |
| | i. Study/Research and further training grants | |
| | ii. Publications, periodicals & documentation | |
| | iii. Equipment | |
| | iv. Conference/meeting or seminar | |
| | v. Conservation/maintenance/upgradation of | |
| | monuments including incidental | |
| | landscape/environment upgradation | |
| | vi. Exhibition/Theatre productions/Cultural | |
| | performance | |
| | vii. Consultancy Service | |
| | viii. Building grants | |
| | ix. Loans | |
| | x. Travel Subsidy | |
| | xi. Any other item(s) | |
+-----+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+
| 13 | Financial contribution of the recipient organization. Amount | |
| | of financial assistance sought from the National Culture | |
| | Fund. | |
+-----+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+
| 14. | Description of the Project | |
+-----+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+
| 15. | Activities to which this Project relates (Please see objects of | |
| | the Fund) | |
+-----+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+
| 16. | Geographical coverage of the Project | |
| | International | |
| | Nationa | |
| | Inter-Stat | |
| | State | |
| | District | |
+-----+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+
| 17. | Name of the body responsible for executing the Project | |
+-----+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+
| 18. | Beneficiary Institution(s) | |
+-----+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+
| 19. | Attested copies of the following documents to be attached | |
| | with the application: | |
| | i. Registration certificate | |
| | ii. Constitution of the organization, articles of | |
| | memorandum, and aims and objectives | |
| | iii. Annual reports of last two years (a separate report | |
| | for each year). This report should briefly describe | |
| | each programme undertaken and the physical targets | |
| | achieved for each. The location of the | |
| | projects/activities should also be mentioned. | |
| | iv. List of present members/office bearers of the Board | |
| | of Management/Executive Committee, date on | |
| | which it was constituted, present tenure (give dates) | |
| | v. Staff of the organization (give names, scale of pay, | |
| | present emoluments | |
| | vi. Audited statement of accounts of the entire | |
| | organization; | |
| | a. Balance sheet (b) income and expenditure account; | |
| | and (c) receipt and payment account certified by a | |
| | Chartered Accountant or a Government Auditor. | |
| | b. The statement should be furnished for the last two | |
| | years | |
| | vii. Any other papers the organization would like to | |
| | attach. | |
+-----+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+
Without of any information or furnishing incorrect information can lead to cancellation of sanction/recovery of grant
and/or action under the law.
Signature of Secretary of the organization
Name
Place
Date
See Note attached for further details
NOTE
1. National Culture Fund aims at sanctioning grants to Government and non-Government organizations largely
out of interest accrued on the Corpus Fund and out of the contributions of the donors.
2. Assistance under the National Culture Fund will be given to Government or non-Government organizations
to foster India's contemporary culture as well as cultural heritage and to bring both within the reach of the
largest possible number of its citizens.
3. Assistance under the Fund is not available to those Government or non-Government organizations who are
already on receipt of financial assistance from attached/sub ordinate offices or autonomous organizations
under the Ministry of Culture under any scheme.
4. The Fund could accept projects relating to preparatory assistance, technical cooperation including studies of
problems on heritage protection, provision of experts, supply of equipment, emergency assistance, training
and support for promotional activities.
5. NCF shall strive to keep in readiness a large number of projects requiring funding and shall, from time to
time, renew, upgrade and add to them. The donors would be free to choose any projects or suggest new ones
for funding and support.
6. It would be possible for a donor to NCF to indicate a project along with any specific location/aspect for
funding and also an agency for execution of the project while making donations to NCF subject to general
policy guidelines and rules, if any, in this behalf. The NCF shall respect the choice of the donor to the extent
possible. When a donor's project covers a World Heritage Site the matter would need to be specifically
considered keeping in view the need to take care of environment surrounding the site, as also the fact that
adequate funding for them could be already available from conventional sources and concentration of funds
on a few important monuments should be avoided
7. Application for grant in the proforma accompanied by the following documents should be sent to the
Member Secretary, The National Culture Fund C/o Ministry of Culture, 5th Floor, Puratatva Bhavan, D-
Block, I.N.A., New Delhi-110023.
i. A copy (preferably photocopy) of the registration Certificate duly attested by a Gazetted Officer.
ii. A copy of the Memorandum of Association/By-Laws of the Organisation duly signed/attested by the
applicant.
iii. List of members of the managing Committee with their qualifications and occupations.
iv. Copies of annual reports and audited statements of accounts for the last two years duly signed/attached by
the applicant.
Login to read full text