Union Minister Amit Shah has inaugurated the first phase of 'Shabdalok (The Museum of Word)', which is India's first immersive language museum.
Developed by the National Library under the Ministry of Culture, the museum is located at the National Library campus in Kolkata and was built at a cost of ₹41 crore.
The Sangeet Natak Akademi has announced the fellowships and awards for 2024 and 2025. The Akademi Fellowship (Akademi Ratna), the highest lifetime achievement honour in performing arts in India (restricted to 40 living individuals), has been conferred upon 7 eminent artists. The award carries a cash prize of ₹3 lakh, a Tamrapatra, and an Angavastram.
The Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards (Akademi Puraskar) were conferred upon 108 artists for their work in Hindustani and Carnatic music, classical and folk dance, theatre, and puppetry. The award includes a cash prize of ₹1 lakh, a Tamrapatra, and an Angavastram.
Additionally, the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar, which honours young artists up to the age of 40, was presented to 106 recipients. Each recipient receives a cash prize of ₹25,000, a Tamrapatra, and an Angavastram.
The Ministry of Culture (MoC) has launched ‘VM Frames’, a national filmmaking competition to encourage the youth to celebrate the heritage of India. The initiative is organised to mark the 150th anniversary of the national song “Vande Mataram”, which was written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay in 1875.
The competition features three categories: Reels, AI-based films, and Short Films. The MoC has announced awards worth up to ₹50 lakh across the various categories of the competition.