Yuga Yugeen Bharat Museum: 80 Institutions, 36 States/UTs Join Three-Day Conclave

Ministry of Culture organized a three-day State Museum Conclave, Stakeholder Consultation, and Capacity Building Workshop for the upcoming Yuga Yugeen Bharat Museum. This museum is being developed in the North and South Block as part of the Central Vista Redevelopment Project. The State Conclave was held from August 1st to 3rd, 2024, and included the following highlights:

• Engagement between key actors in the State and Central museum ecosystems.
• Initiative fostering robust collaboration between Central and State governments in museum management.
• Capacity building led by experts from both India and abroad.

The State Museum Conclave, brought together government museum professionals from across India’s States and Union Territories. The three-day conclave saw participation from over 80 institutions, 36 states and UTs, over 150 participants, and various universities. The Conclave featured master classes from top minds in the museum ecosystem, covering essential aspects of museum management and operations. Some of the notable sessions included:

• • “Architecture and Materiality” by Vincent Saulier, Architect, France Museums
  • “Museology” by Dr. Manvi Seth, Dean Academic Affairs, IIH
  • “Conservation in Alliance with ICCROM” by Kate Seymore, Chair, ICOM-CC Directory Board
  • “Collections, Fine Art Handling, and Loaning” by Ashish Goyal, ADG, National Museum
  • “Museum Grant Scheme and Museum Act” by Jivan Bachhav, Deputy Secretary, MoC
  • “1970 UNESCO Convention” by Tim Curtis, Director, UNESCO New Delhi
  • “Museum Management” by A. Damodaran, Professor, IIM Bangalore
  • “Curation and Exhibition Design” by Gauri Krishnan, Director, DMBG Consultants

The States were encouraged to showcase their best collections and practices from two to three of their flagship institutions. These presentations were judged by a panel of experts, and one winner per zone was selected based on critics’ choice and popular vote through peer review.

The winners for the critics’ choice:

• • North Zone: Punjab, represented by Ms. Neeru Katyal Gupta
  • South Zone: Andhra Pradesh, represented by Ms. G Vani Mohan
  • East Zone: Bihar, represented by Mr. Rahul Gupta
  • North East Zone: Assam, represented by Mr. Arindam Baruah
  • West Zone: Gujarat, represented by Dr. Pankaj Sharma

The popular choice winners based on peer review:

• • North Zone: Chandigarh, represented by Ms. Megha Kulkarni and Ms. Seema Gera
  • South Zone: Tamil Nadu, represented by Mr. N Sundararajan
  • East Zone: Chhattisgarh, represented by Mr. Vivek Acharya
  • North East Zone: Manipur, represented by Ms. Mrinashree Mairambam
  • West Zone: Rajasthan, represented by Mr. Pankaj Dhirendra

In addition, a winner was selected from the presentations made by various university collections. The jury’s choice was Indira Kala Sangeet Vishwavidyalaya, Chhattisgarh, and the popular choice was the Kerala University of Digital Sciences, Innovation, and Technology.

The Conclave marks a significant effort by the Ministry of Culture to ensure that all potential stakeholders are included as partners in the upcoming Yuga Yugeen Bharat Museum. It also provided a unique opportunity for the Ministry to identify key areas for intervention in the State Museum ecosystem, fostering substantial collaborations between both the parties.