Global Engagement Scheme (GES)

Global Engagement Scheme (GES)

Context

The Ministry of Culture highlighted the role of the Global Engagement Scheme (GES) in strengthening India’s cultural relations with foreign nations. Formerly known as the Scheme for Promotion of International Cultural Relations, it was renamed and expanded as an umbrella framework to scale up India’s cultural diplomacy, civilizational outreach, and soft power projection abroad.

Overview of the Global Engagement Scheme (GES)

• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Culture, Government of India.
• Core Objective: To promote India’s civilizational heritage, cultural diversity, and artistic traditions globally, strengthen bilateral contacts, and project India’s cultural identity.
• Implementation Mechanism: Administered largely in close coordination with Indian Missions/Posts abroad and multilateral cultural bodies.

Core Components of the Scheme

1. Festival of India (FoI)

• Organizes curated cultural showcases abroad through the Standing Committee on Festivals under the Ministry of Culture, executed via Indian Missions.
• Deputes empanelled artists across folk music, classical dance, puppetry, theatre, and contemporary arts to perform globally.

2. Grant-in-Aid to Indo-Foreign Friendship Cultural Societies

• Disburses financial assistance to active foreign-based friendship societies through local Indian Missions.
• Fosters organic people-to-people contacts, mutual understanding, and community-level appreciation of Indian culture.

3. Contributions to Inter-Governmental Organizations

• Ensures timely payment of India's statutory membership fees and financial contributions to global cultural and heritage bodies.
• Key Beneficiaries: UNESCO (including the World Heritage Fund), ICCROM (International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property), and related multilateral forums.

Other Key Extended Initiatives under GES

• International Cultural Exchange Programme (ICEP): Implements bilateral Cultural Exchange Programmes (CEPs) and Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with partner nations.
• Project Mausam: A flagship maritime initiative executed by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) with research support from IGNCA and the National Museum. Reconnects countries along the Indian Ocean world through shared maritime routes, trade, and cultural linkages.
• Brihattar Bharat (Greater India): Explores historical cultural connections from a Bharat-centric, reciprocal perspective, providing an academic platform to document India's civilizational footprint across Asia and beyond.
• Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH): Supports documentation and preservation of diverse traditional art forms in alignment with UNESCO’s 2003 ICH Convention.

Strategic Significance of India’s Cultural Diplomacy

Conclusion

The Global Engagement Scheme serves as a structural framework for India’s soft power diplomacy. By pairing traditional performing arts with strategic maritime history (Project Mausam) and multilateral engagement with UNESCO, the scheme projects India’s civilizational identity while fostering global cultural cooperation.