Raghu Menon

Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts(IGNCA)

The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) was established in 1987 as an autonomous institution under the Department of Culture, and envisioned as a centre for research, academic pursuit and dissemination in the field of the arts. ‘The Arts' as a wide spectrum, encompassing subjects from archaeology to dance and anthropology to the photographic art, enveloping them in a complementary and non-demarcated vision. In its functioning, the IGNCA has met its mandate and continues to work in this direction. The IGNCA has six functional units – Kalanidhi, the multi-form library; Kalakosa, devoted mainly to the study and publication of fundamental texts, predominantly in Sanskrit; Janapada Sampada, the division engaged in lifestyle studies; Kaladarsana, the executive unit which transforms researches and studies emanating from the IGNCA into visible forms through exhibitions; Cultural Informatics Lab, which applies technology tools for cultural preservation and propagation; and Sutradhara, the administrative section that acts as a spine supporting and coordinating all the activities. The Member Secretary is the Executive head of both academic and administrative divisions. The IGNCA has a Southern Regional Centre (SRC) headquartered in Bangalore. Its establishment in 2001 was aimed at intensifying the Centre's studies on the southern region's art and cultural heritage.