Centre Offers Financial Aid for Digitization of Museums Under Grant Scheme
New Delhi, July 21: The Government of India continues its support for the preservation and modernization of cultural heritage through the Museum Grant Scheme, which offers financial assistance for digitizing museum collections across the country. The initiative, spearheaded by the Ministry of Culture, aims to strengthen infrastructure, enhance accessibility, and upgrade professional capacities in the museum sector.
Under the scheme, aid is extended to Central and State Governments, Public Sector Undertakings, Autonomous Bodies, Societies, Trusts, Universities, and Local Bodies for projects related to setting up new museums, developing existing ones, digitizing collections, and training museum professionals. The support spans institutions at regional, state, and district levels.
Applicants seeking funding under this scheme are required to submit their proposals in a prescribed format along with supporting documents to the Ministry of Culture for evaluation.
In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat shared that details regarding the projects approved, and the funds allocated and disbursed to various entities—whether state-run or operated by NGOs, trusts, or local bodies—since the scheme’s inception in 2013-14 are available in Annexure-I.
The digitization effort is part of a broader strategy to modernize cultural institutions, preserve historical artefacts, and make museum content digitally accessible to the public, researchers, and future generations.
