Cultural institutions in India

Cultural institutions in British India

Several factors contributed to the formation of Indian nationalism. Nationalism is the mental unity of the people of a country, transcending caste, religion, class and regional differences. Several changes in the socio-cultural arena strengthened the national consciousness of the Indian people. In the nineteenth century, two types of protests emerged in India, both culturally and ideologically. The first was against the inequalities, evils and denial of rights that existed in Indian society. The second was against the imperialist exploitation that was establishing dominance in India.

The British realized that a better understanding of the life and culture of the Indian people was necessary to strengthen their rule. They gained knowledge about India by reading and translating works written in Sanskrit and Persian. Examples of institutions set up by the British for the training and further study of British officers include the Asiatic Society of Bengal, the Calcutta Madrasa, and the Banaras Sanskrit College.

Calcutta Madrasa

Calcutta Madrasa was founded in 1780 by Warren Hastings. It was also known as Calcutta Muhammadan College. In 2008, the institution was elevated to university status. The current name of the institution is Aliah University.

Asiatic Society of Bengal

The Asiatic Society was founded in 1784 by Sir William Jones for the purpose of Oriental studies. From 1936 to 1951, the institution was known as The Royal Asiatic Society of Bengal. In 1951, the name of the institution was changed to The Asiatic Society. The main function of the society was to find and collect ancient documents from India.

Banaras Sanskrit College

Jonathan Duncan took the initiative to establish the Banaras Sanskrit College. The institution came into existence in 1791. Currently known as Sampurnanand Sanskrit Vishwavidyalaya, this institution is one of the most important Sanskrit universities in the world. It is this institution that publishes Sanskrit texts under the name Saraswati Bhavan Granthamala.

Scientific societies

Several scientific societies were established in India in the 19th century to spread scientific awareness, translate scientific texts and discuss them. The Society for Translating European Sciences was established in Calcutta in 1825. The Society for the Acquisition of General Knowledge was established in Calcutta in 1838. In 1876, the Mahendralal Sarkar established the Indian Association in Bengal. The Banaras Debating Club was established in 1861. In 1864, the Aligarh Scientific Society was established by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan. The Bihar Scientific Society was established in 1868.

Cultural institutions in India

Prasar Bharati

Prasar Bharati is the public service broadcaster of India. Prasar Bharati is a statutory self-governing body in India, established on 23 November 1997. All India Radio and Doordarshan operate under Prasar Bharati. The stated objectives of Prasar Bharati are to promote national integration, strengthen the unity of the country, uphold the right to know of the citizen, give special emphasis to the rural-agricultural-educational sectors, and promote social justice. Prasar Bharati is headquartered in New Delhi.

All India Radio

The first radio program in India was broadcast by the Mumbai Radio Club in 1923. In 1927, radio broadcasting began in Mumbai and Kolkata through private transmitters. In 1930, the government took over these transmitters and started radio broadcasting under the name 'Indian Broadcasting Service'. In 1936, radio broadcasting was named All India Radio. The name of the radio station started in Mysore in 1936 was 'All India Radio'. 'All India Radio' was the result of the efforts of Dr. M.V. Gopalaswamy, a teacher at the University of Mysore. In 1941, the government took over the radio station. In 1957, All India Radio was named 'All India Radio' after borrowing the name of this radio station in Mysore. The motto of All India Radio is 'Bahujanahitaya, Bahujanasukhaya'.

Doordarshan

Television broadcasting in India began on 15 September 1959 in Delhi. Doordarshan's daily broadcasting began in 1965. Doordarshan was separated from All India Radio on 15 September 1976. In India, colour TV broadcasting began and national TV programmes began in 1982. The Independence Day Parade on 15 August 1982 was the first to be broadcast in colour in India. The New Delhi Asian Games held in 1982 were also broadcast in colour. Doordarshan currently has 24 channels. Doordarshan's metro channels started on 26 January 1993. 'DD India' is Doordarshan's international channel. DD India started broadcasting on 14 March 1995. Doordarshan's sports channel DD Sports started on 18 March 1999. DD Bharathi is a cultural channel of Doordarshan. It started broadcasting on 26 January 2002. DD News is a 24- hour news channel of Doordarshan. It started operations on 3 November 2002. DD Kisan is the first television channel for farmers in India. Doordarshan started broadcasting on a commercial basis in 1986. Doordarshan's motto is 'Satyam, Shivam, Sundaram'.

Archaeological Survey of India

The Archaeological Survey of India is an agency under the Department of Culture of the Government of India. The main responsibility of this agency is the study of archaeology and the protection of monuments. The Archaeological Survey of India was founded in 1861 by Alexander Cunningham. The Archaeological Survey of India was a continuation of Sir. William Jones' Asiatic Society. The Asiatic Society was founded on 15 January 1784 for Oriental studies. This institution started publishing a journal called Asiatic Researches from 1788. The first museum was opened in Bengal in 1814. The main missions of the institution are to find and collect ancient records of India, archaeological exploration, and preservation of the cultural heritage of the country.

National Archives of India

The National Archives of India, which was known as the Imperial Records Department until independence, was established in Kolkata on 11 March 1891. The early supervision of this institution was by G.W. Forrest. It is now headquartered in New Delhi. The architect of the building in New Delhi, built in the neo-classical style, was Edwin Lutyens. The National Archives of India is a government institution that works to preserve the ancient records of the Government of India. It functions under the Ministry of Culture. The records here are also available for inspection by the public. The records dating back to A.D. 1748 are preserved here. It includes many important documents in English, Arabic, Hindi, Persian, Sanskrit and Urdu. Ancient documents on palm leaves, wood bark and paper are still preserved intact. 

Anthropological Survey of India

The Anthropological Survey, which operates under the Union Ministry of Culture, was established in 1945. Its headquarters are in Kolkata.

National Museum

The National Museum was inaugurated in New Delhi on August 15, 1949. It is the largest museum in India.

National Library

The National Library in Kolkata is the largest library in India. It was established in 1948. The library is located in the Belvedere Estate, which is spread over an area of ​​about thirty acres in the city of Kolkata.

Central Secretariat Library

It began operating in Kolkata in 1891 as the Imperial Secretariat Library. It has been operating at Shastri Bhavan, New Delhi, since 1969.

National Gallery of Modern Art

The National Gallery of Modern Art was established in New Delhi in 1954 with the aim of nurturing contemporary Indian art.

Lalit Kala Akademi

The main objective of the Lalit Kala Akademi (National Academy of Arts), established in New Delhi in 1954, is the promotion of Indian arts within and outside India.

Sangeet Natak Akademi

The Sangeet Natak Akademi was inaugurated on 28 January 1953 by the then President Dr. Rajendra Prasad. It was earlier known as The National Academy of Dance, Drama and Music. Its headquarters are in New Delhi. 

National School of Drama

It was established in New Delhi in 1959 under the auspices of the Sangeet Natak Akademi. 'Jashn-e-Bachpan' is a children's drama festival organised by the School of Drama every year. 'Bharat Rang Mahotsav' is a national drama festival held every year.

Sahitya Akademi

The Sahitya Akademi came into existence in March 1954. 24 languages ​​have been recognized by the Sahitya Akademi. Being elected as a 'Fellow' is the highest honor given by the Sahitya Akademi to writers.