International award in Tagore's memory: Govt

To mark the 150th birth anniversary of Nobel laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore, the government is instituting an international award with Rs 1 crore as its prize money in his memory for those promoting universal brotherhood.

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee in his budget speech today announced the award that would be part of a series of events to celebrate the 150th birth anniversary of the Nobel Laureate.

The year-long celebrations, for which the Ministry of Culture has launched massive preparations, will begin from May 7 this year with a series of events like cultural programmes and exhibitions to be held across the world.

"An international award with prize money of Rs 1 crore is being instituted for promoting values of universal brotherhood in the memory of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore," the Finance Minister said.

He said this year India will conduct a number of important events in several countries of Europe, America and Asia, besides holding a series of joint events with Bangladesh under the aegis of the India-Bangladesh Celebrations Committee.

Besides this important announcement, the Finance Mukherjee widened the exemptions from customs duty to works of art and antiquities brought back to the country for exhibition or display in private museums and galleries that are open to the public.

Works of art and antiquities are already exempt from customs duties when imported for exhibition in a public museum or national institution, and now the exemption would also be valid for private institutions that cater to general public.

"In recent years, many organisations have joined the cause of promoting and popularising both traditional and contemporary art. Some of them have been active in locating heritage works of Indian art and antiquities in foreign countries and bringing them back home.

"To encourage such initiatives, I propose to expand the scope of this exemption for works of art and antiquities to also apply to imports for exhibition or display, in private art galleries or similar premises that are open to the general public," he said.

Welcoming this exemption, Minister of Culture Kumari Selja hoped this would act as an encouragement to people working for the benefit of arts.

She said this will encourage more private, corporate and philanthropic organisations and individuals, to promote and popularise Indian art.

She also expressed pleasure at the international award instituted in the honour of Gurudev.