ARTISTS’ COMMUNITY WELFARE AND SOCIAL SECURITY SUPPORT
ARTISTS’ COMMUNITY WELFARE AND SOCIAL SECURITY SUPPORT
Apart from the various social security schemes operated by various Ministries of Government of India for citizens of various age groups, the Government recognizes the invaluable contribution of artists, performers and cultural workers to the rich cultural heritage of India.
While there is no single, all-encompassing social security or benefit for all categories of artists and cultural workers, the Government has instituted several schemes to provide social and financial support to vulnerable sections within the artists community. ‘Scheme for Financial Assistance for Veteran Artists’ administered by the Ministry of Culture is one of such initiative under which financial assistance up to Rs 6000/- per month is provided to the eligible veteran artists aged 60 years and above who have contributed significantly in the fields of arts, letters etc. in their active age or are still contributing.
Following are the eligibility criteria for providing financial assistance under the scheme:
A year-wise details of artists selected, artists benefitted and amount of financial assistance disbursed under the scheme during last five years are given below:
Financial Year
Artists provisionally Selected*
Artists Benefitted (including existing beneficiaries)
Amount Disbursed (Rs. in Cr.)
2020-21
1821
2000
8.71
2021-22
2251
3029
15.42
2022-23
1150
3651
18.59
2023-24
355
3811
28.96
2024-25
Under Process
4636
26.09
*Artists approval is provisional subject to their submitting supporting documents, yearly Digital Life Certificate (DLC) etc. for assistance to be disbursed to them.
A large portion of workers in cultural and creative sectors in India are engaged in the informal economy, characterized by irregular income, absence of formal contracts, and limited social security.
In the context of the creative economy, many practitioners such as folk artists, local artisans, performers, craft and cultural workers often work on a casual or self-employed basis and are typically not covered under formal labor and social security frameworks.
To mitigate the hardships faced by the artists selected under the scheme, the following steps have been taken by the Ministry in the recent years:
This information was given by Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.
- The applicant artist should have contributed significantly in their specialized fields of arts, letters etc. in their active age or are still contributing;