Cultural Relations
A
Cultural Agreement for enhancing bilateral co-operation in the fields of culture, art, education, science, tourism, sports and mass media was signed in March 1996, and a
Cultural Exchange Programme is under consideration.
Agreements on Civil Aviation and
Co-operation in Science and Technology were signed during the President's visit.
Agreements on Bilateral Protection of Investments, Avoidance of Double Taxation, Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy and Bilateral Agreement on Mutual Protection of Classified Information and Bilateral Agreement in the Fight Against Terrorism, Prohibition of Narcotics Trafficking and other Organized Crimes are also being considered. A new
Agreement on Health Services to replace the existing Indo-Czechoslovak Agreement, which expired in January 1998 and a plan of co-operation between the two Ministries of Health are being discussed. The state-owned Slovak Television has expressed interest in establishing institutionalised links with Doordarshan. Indian experts from CSIR have visited Slovakia under a bilateral exchange programme with the Slovak Academy of Sciences. Slovak candidates have attended courses in banking, rural finance and management under the ITEC Programme, and several Slovak diplomats have also attended training courses at the Indian Foreign Service Institute in New Delhi.
50th Anniversary celebrations: With the co-operation of the Slovak Ministry of Culture, in 1997-98, a number of events were organised in Slovakia to commemorate the 50th anniversary of India's Independence. These included a major exhibition on
Indian musical instruments, entitled "Homage to Saraswati", at the prestigious Slovak Music Museum premises at Bratislava Castle from August '97 to June '98; performances and
lecture-demonstrations by a composite dance and music troupe in September '97; the publication and release of a book on Indian philosophy by a noted Slovak Indologist, Mrs Elena Adamkova, in February '98; and
an exhibition of contemporary Indian graphics at the Slovak National Gallery in March '98. Most of these activities were organised under the Indo-Slovak Cultural Agreement.
A odissi dance troupe and a Bhangra and gidha dance troupe, sponsored by ICCR visited Slovakia in July and August 2004 respectively. Their performances were widely appreciated in Slovakia.
Indian Council for Cultural Relations
About the ICCR
The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), an autonomous organization of the Government of India, was established in 1950. The objectives of the Concil, as defined in its Memorandum of Association, are:
- To participate in the formulation and implementation of policies and programmes relating to India's external cultural relations.
- To promote cultural exchange with other countries and peoples.
- To promote and strengthen cultural relations and mutual understanding between India and other countries
- To establish and develop relations with national and international organizations in the field of culture.
The Council, with its Headquarters in Azad Bhavan, New Delhi carried out this mandate of cultural diplomacy through a wide spectrum of activities which include:
- Programmes Wing:
- Exchange of visits by scholars, academicians, opinion-makers, artists & writers.
- Facilitation of the organization of and participation in seminars and symposia abroad.
- Exchanges of visits by performing arts groups
- Exchanges of exhibitions.
- Commissioning of busts and statues of Indian leaders for installation abroad.
- Presentation abroad of informatics, audio-visual material, books on India and Indian musical instruments.
- Active collaboration in the operations of some Foreign Cultural Centres in India (e.g. nine of the thirteen British Libraries in India - the ones outside the four metropolitan cities - are run jointly by the ICCR and the British Council).
- Administration & Education Wing
- Administering of scholarship schemes for foreign students for studies in India.
- Assisting organization of and participation in seminars and symposia in India.
- Maintaining the Council's Regional Offices in India and its Cultural Centres abroad.
- Establishing & maintaining Chairs & Professorships for Indian Studies in Universities and Centres abroad.
- Administering the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding.
- Organizing the Maulana Azad Memorial Lecture.
- Conducting the Maulana Azad Essay Competition.
- Publications.
The Council
The Council has regional offies in: Bangalore, Calcutta, Chandigarh, Chennai, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Mumbai & Thiruvananthapuram.
The Council has Cultural Centres abroad in : Georgetown, Paramaribo, port Louis, Jakarta, Moscow, Berlin, Cairo, London, Tashkent, Almaty, Johannesburg, Durban, Port of Spain & Colombo (in order of establishment)
Website of ICCR:
http://iccrindia.org/
Photographs of the recent cultural programmes in Slovakia organised by
the Embassy of India, Bratislava and sponsored by ICCR:
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