I&B Min to support states in safeguarding filmic heritage

Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is exploring possibilities of extending financial and technical support to state governments in their endeavour to safeguard the country’s filmic heritage. While speaking on the sidelines of a high level committee meeting on National Film Heritage Mission, held in NFAI Pune on Tuesday, secretary, Information and Broadcasting Ministry, Ajay Mittal said, “The objective of preserving the country’s cinematic heritage has to be achieved in collaboration with state governments.”

Speaking on the occasion, Mittal also added that the committee has reviewed the progress of the National Film Heritage Mission and taken some major decisions to expand the horizons of the same. The mission would ensure not only the preservation of filmic heritage but also its dissemination and access to the last mile. 

This would enable awareness amongst youth and children about our rich cultural heritage. Appreciating the efforts of officers at NFAI in implementing the mission, Mittal said, all necessary steps are being undertaken to involve international organisations and institutions to ensure project’s implementation as per global standards. He further added that NFAI’s facilities would be augmented by creating new state of the art vaults in its premises.

National Film Heritage Mission is a prestigious project of the Centre for digitisation, restoration, preservation and conservation of country’s rich filmic heritage. The mission has budgetary outlay of Rs. 597.41 crore and is to be implemented till 2021. National Film Archive of India is the implementing agency for the mission.