New Delhi, 28 September (H.S.): In the presence of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and the Delhi Government on Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote cooperation in the cultural and educational sectors. The primary objective of the MoU is to establish an institutional partnership between the Delhi Government and ICCR through which cultural and educational cooperation will be strengthened. The initiative is expected to promote Delhi’s culture, tourism and economy while also supporting ICCR in fulfilling its responsibilities related to cultural diplomacy.

Delhi’s Minister for Art, Culture and Languages Kapil Mishra, along with senior officials of the concerned departments, was present on the occasion.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said the partnership marked an important step towards connecting Delhi’s art, culture and talent with wider national and international platforms. It will provide artists and cultural groups from Delhi with opportunities to showcase their talent at international events, while international cultural dialogue in Delhi will also be encouraged through the participation of foreign artists and cultural representatives. The institutional partnership with ICCR will play an important role in giving fresh momentum to Delhi’s culture, tourism and creative economy.

Under the agreement, established as well as emerging artists from Delhi will receive direct opportunities to participate in ICCR’s prestigious “Horizon Series” and international cultural festivals. The Delhi Government will identify talented individuals in diverse fields, including performing arts, literature, sculpture, textiles, architecture, culinary arts and handicrafts, and list them with ICCR. An integrated directory of artists from all these disciplines will be prepared and shared with ICCR to create a comprehensive database for international events.

The agreement will facilitate performances by foreign artists at cultural and tourism festivals organised in Delhi. Foreign dignitaries and scholars visiting under ICCR’s Distinguished Visitors Programme and Academic Visitors Programme will be hosted in Delhi. In addition, joint art exhibitions, artist residency camps, workshops and seminars will be organised for visual artists from India and abroad. Group exhibitions, artist residency programmes, conferences, seminars and workshops will also be organised for visual artists from India and other countries.

Study camps and orientation visits will be organised in Delhi for foreign students associated with ICCR, thereby promoting the capital’s historical and cultural tourism. Major educational institutions and universities in Delhi will also be widely promoted among ICCR’s international student network.

Under the MoU, the Delhi Government will bear the expenses necessary for the participation of international cultural groups in programmes organised in Delhi. ICCR will assist with the identification of international participants as well as arrangements related to visas and their travel to India. For the participation of Delhi-based artists and cultural groups in programmes held abroad, the Delhi Government will bear expenses related to domestic and international air travel, transportation, visas and necessary government approvals. ICCR will assist with arrangements related to the artists’ international stay, performances, publicity and medical requirements.

For the effective implementation of the agreement, a joint committee will be constituted comprising the Director General of ICCR, or the DG’s representative, senior officials from the Delhi Government’s Art and Culture Department, and the head of ICCR’s regional office. The committee will formulate a minimum annual activity plan each year. The MoU will remain in force for five years from the date of signing and may be extended for another five years by mutual consent.

ICCR is the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, an autonomous organisation under the Ministry of External Affairs responsible for promoting cultural relations and cultural diplomacy. Its official organisational structure includes programmes dealing with cultural delegations, exhibitions, festivals, artist empanelment, visitors and agreements with state governments. The Council’s current Director General is K. Nandini Singla.

Minister Kapil Mishra said the MoU was an important cultural initiative towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “Viksit Bharat” and, under the Chief Minister’s leadership, the goal of building a “Viksit Delhi” and transforming Delhi into an “Art Capital”. He said the agreement would create opportunities for Delhi’s artists to access international platforms, establish a database of talented artists across different disciplines and promote cultural exchange with foreign artists and scholars. He added that orientation programmes, study camps and familiarisation visits would also be organised to connect international students studying in Delhi with the capital’s rich cultural heritage.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar