New Delhi, March 19 Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the trustees of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) on Thursday and discussed the upcoming "Yuge Yugeen Bharat" Museum, emphasizing that this project will transform the North Block and South Block, once centers of power, into centers of culture.
He also discussed various aspects related to further popularizing India's diverse culture.
Officials had earlier stated that the upcoming "Yuge Yugeen Bharat" National Museum – billed to be the largest museum in the world – will have eight thematic segments telling the story of India spanning over 5,000 years.
The new museum, to be housed in the North Block and South Block in the heart of the country's capital, will cover an area of 1.17 lakh sqm with 950 rooms spread over a basement and three storeys, they had previously said.
During the meeting, the prime minister and the IGNCA trustees also explored ways to involve more people in this endeavor, strengthen outreach through digital and grassroots initiatives.
IGNCA is an autonomous institution that falls under the purview of the Ministry of Culture.
"Met Trustees of IGNCA and discussed various aspects relating to further popularising India's diverse culture," the prime minister said in a post on X.
"We also explored ways to bring more people into this journey, strengthen outreach through digital and grassroots initiatives and support artists and scholars in preserving and promoting our rich heritage," Modi said in the post.
The IGNCA trustees include its President Ram Bahadur Rai and members Sonal Mansingh, Vasudeo Kamath, Rathi Vinay Jha, Harshvardhan Neotia, Padma Subrahmanyam, Saryu V Doshi and Prasoon Joshi, among others.
A senior official of the IGNCA said that the prime minister during the meeting also spoke about the upcoming "Yuge Yugeen Bharat" Museum.
The PM told the trustees that this project will transform the North Block and the South Block, once centers of power, into centers of culture, the official said.
Built during the British era, the two imposing buildings, along with the Rashtrapati Bhavan (formerly the Viceroy's House), form the centerpiece of the Raisina Hill complex.
The key objectives of the Delhi-based IGNCA include serving as a major resource centre for the arts, especially written, oral and visual source materials, to undertake research and publication programmes of reference works, glossaries, dictionaries and encyclopaedia concerning the arts and the humanities.
Also, to provide a forum for a creative and critical dialogue through performances, exhibitions, multi-media projections, conferences, seminars and workshops between and amongst the diverse arts, traditional and contemporary.