Veteran Artists Financial Assistance Scheme
Veteran Artists Financial Assistance Scheme has been introduced by the Ministry of Culture in India through a Central-State governments coordinated approach with a shared contribution of Rs 6000/- monthly allowance to enhance the financial and socio-economic well-being of 60 years aged artists and scholars who have made significant contributions to their respective fields of arts, letters, and other related areas.
Let's delve into the intricacies of this art and culture of pension eligibility, the type of applying nature and disbursing financial aid etc.
Overview of the Financial support of Veteran Artists Scheme:
The below table summarizes the key points of the scheme:
| Aspect | Description |
|---|---|
| Name of the Scheme | Scheme for Financial Assistance for Veteran Artists or simply pension scheme for artists |
| Department | Ministry of Culture India |
| Age Criteria | 60 years or above |
| Pension Amount | Rs 6000 per month per beneficiary |
| Selection Process | Based on merit and other requirements evaluates |
| Applying | Either by E-mail or by post |
Eligibility Criteria for Artist Pension Scheme:
- To be eligible central government artist pension, the applicant must have made a significant contribution to art and letters
- Total family income of the applicant must not exceed Rs 6000/- per month or an annual income of Rs 72000/-
- The applicant should not be less than 60 (sixty) years of age. However, this does not apply in the case of the spouse.
- The applicant artiste should be receiving a monthly pension of at least Rs 500 from the concerned state Government/Union Territory Administration. Otherwise, the artistic credentials of the applicant must be verified and recommended by the concerned Zone Cultural Centre (ZCC), Ministry of Culture.
- Not receiving assistance from other schemes of the ministry.
Required Documents of Pension Scheme for Artists:
| (1) Recent clear and colored passport-size photograph of the applicant (Not older than six months) to be affixed on the specified place in the application form | |
| (2) Self-attested copy of any one of the following documents for address proof | (a) Aadhaar card, (b) Voter card (c) Passport (d) Driving License |
| (e) Electricity/Gas/Landline Bill (not older than 3 months) | |
| (f) Bank account statement, (g) Passport of the spouse, (h) Property registration document | |
| (i) Domicile certificate issued by the Government | |
| (j) Post office passbook having the address of the applicant | |
| (3) Original copy of Income Certificate | |
| (4) Self-attested copy of Aadhaar Card issued by UIDAI. | |
| (5) Self-attested copy of any one of the following documents for proof of Date of Birth | (a) Aadhaar card, (b) Voter card (c) Passport (d) Driving License (e) PAN Card |
| (f) Birth Certificate issued by the Municipal Authority or any office authorized to issue Birth and Death Certificate by the Register of Birth and Deaths | |
| (g) Marriage Certificate issued by Register of Marriages | |
| (h) Domicile certificate issued by the Government | |
| (i) Matriculation/10th class certificate or mark sheet of recognized Board | |
| (6) Copies of relevant documents which support the applicant's contributions made in the field of art, culture etc. or awards, recognition, or distinction received by the applicant from central/State Government/Union Territory or any prominent or Arts Society | |
| (7) Duly filled-in and signed prescribed Bank Authorization letter, which is verified & signed by the Manager of the concerned Bank (in original) | |
| (8) Recommendation letter obtained from the culture Department of the concerned state Government/UT Administration in respect of artists getting at least a monthly artist pension of Rs. 500/- | |
| (9) If the artist obtained the recommendation letters from the concerned Zonal Cultural Centers, the Ministry of Culture is to be attached with the applications in respect of all other Artists | |
Note: All Documents must be in English or Hindi, and if they are in a language other than English or Hindi, a typed English translation must accompany them.
Procedure for applying for artist pension
To submit an application for the scheme for financial assistance for veteran artists and writers differs for existing beneficiaries and new applicants.
Hence, eligible artists need to follow the prescribed procedure outlined below.
(a). Direct Submission:
If the old artist already receiving a pension of at least Rs. 500 per month from the concerned state Govt./UT Administration, then submits through their state Govt./UT Administration.
(b). For other Applicants submit through ZCC:
If the candidate is not receiving an artist pension from the State/UT, then submit the application to the respective Zonal Cultural Centre (ZCC) under the Ministry of Culture.
Selection of Applicants for the award of Financial Assistance:
- Submission of Applications: Eligible artists must submit complete applications to be considered for financial assistance.
- Constitution of Expert Committee: The Ministry of Culture will form an Expert Committee comprising heads of various cultural organizations under the ministry. The committee will also include eminent artists from different fields of art and culture who have proven expertise.
- Evaluation and Recommendations by Expert Committee: The Expert Committee will review the ministry of culture artist pension applications based on the merit, financial position, eminence, and other criteria. Finally recommend deserving senior artists for the financial assistance.
- Review by Administrative Division: The recommendations of the Expert Committee will be examined by the Administrative Division within the Ministry. This review will consider the scheme guidelines, rules, regulations, and the availability of funds.
- Decision by Competent Authority: The Administrative Division will facilitate an appropriate decision by the competent Authority. The Competent Authority must be at least one level above the Chairperson of the Expert Committee. This authority will approve the selected candidates for financial assistance.
- Approval and Release of Funds: Once approved by the Competent Authority, the cases of all recommended candidates will be submitted for final approval. Before releasing financial assistance to the approved artists, the concurrence of the Internal Finance Division within the Ministry must be obtained.
Timelines for submission of applications:
Artists seeking financial support based on whether the applicants receive artist pension from their States/UTs or not. Below are the timelines for both categories.
(1). For Artists already receiving Artist Pension from their States/UTs
applicants will send their applications through the Art &Culture Department of their respective States/UTs to the Director, South Central Zone Cultural Center (SCZCC), Nagpur.
(2). For Other Artists (Not receiving Artist Pension or Where no such scheme exists)
- May-July: Zone Cultural Centers (ZCCs) hold awareness camps across their member states to inform senior artists about the scheme.
- August-november: ZCC receives applications from artists in their member states
- October-November: ZCC conducts a preliminary examination to check applicant eligibility and completeness of applications.
- December: ZCCs forward eligible applications to SCZCC, Nagpur, along with their recommendations.
- January (following year): SCZCC compiles all applications received
- February (following year): SCZCC organizes a meeting of the Expert Committee to review applications and make recommendations.
Disbursement of Artist Pension
The disbursement of monthly financial assistance to approved beneficiaries and new artists under the scheme for financial assistance for veteran artists is facilitated by Canara Bank and directly transferred into the beneficiarie's bank accounts.
To initiate this process, beneficiaries must submit mandatory documents for renewal of financial assistance to existing beneficiaries, including a
- Digital Life Certificate processed through the Jeevan Pramaan Portal every year by the month of November
- Colored scanned copy of original Income Certificate once in every five (05) years.
These documents must be sent to the Ministry of Culture via email i.e. document4moc@gmail.com or artistpension.moc@gmail.com or by post at the following address
The Under Secretary,
Artist Pension Section, Ministry of Culture
Government of India, Room No. 208,
2nd Floor, Puratatva Bhavan, D-Block,
INA, New Delhi-110023.
Discontinuance of allowance
Financial Improvement:
If a recipient's monthly income exceeds Rs. 6,000 or annual income exceeds Rs. 72,000 (excluding any existing artiste pension from the government), the assistance will be stopped immediately without notice.
Government Termination:
The government may also terminate the assistance at its discretion, but must provide a three-month notice to the recipient.
Recipient relinquishment:
A recipient can voluntarily choose to stop receiving the assistance by providing written notice to the government. In this case, the assistance will end on the date specified in their letter.
False or forged documents:
If it's discovered that the applicant provided false or forged documents, the assistance will be discontinued immediately.
Frequently Asked Questions:
(Q1). Can traditional scholars with significant contributions in their fields but without published works be eligible for financial assistance?
Ans: Yes. Eligible despite the lack of any published works.
(Q2). How does the scheme handle disputes between the Ministry/Central Government and the beneficiaries?
Ans: All disputes under the scheme shall be subject to Jurisdiction of Courts at Delhi only.
(Q3). Can artists residing outside of India but who have made significant contributions to Indian art and culture apply for financial assistance?
Ans: Not eligible NRI's
(Q4). What is the role of Canara Bank in artist pension scheme?
Ans: The Ministry of Culture nominated Canara Bank as a disbursing agency for crediting money into the beneficiary account timely.
Zonal Cultural Centres (ZCCs) Located States:
| Name of the Centre | Headquarter | Member States |
|---|---|---|
| North Zone Cultural Centre | Patiala | Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, UnionTerritories of Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh and Chandigarh |
| West Zone Cultural Centre | Udaipur | Goa, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Union Territory of Daman& Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli |
| South Zone Cultural Centre | Thanjavur | Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Union Territories of Andaman &Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep and Puducherry |
| South Central Zone Cultural Centre | Nagpur | Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Telangana |
| Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre | Kolkata | Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Manipur, Odisha, Sikkim, Tripura, West Bengal and Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands |
| North Central ZCC | Prayagraj | Bihar, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and NCT of Delhi |
| North East ZCC | Dimapur | Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura |
Conclusion:
The scheme for Financial Assistance for Veteran Artists is a valuable program that helps to senior artists are able to live comfortably in their old age and also intended for preserving and promoting India's rich cultural heritage.
