Artistes Pension Scheme and Welfare Fund

The Artistes Pension Scheme and Welfare Fund is an initiative of the Ministry of Culture to support artists, writers who have contributed significantly in their fields.

Eligibility

• To be eligible for assistance under the Scheme, a person's contribution to art and letters, etc must be of significance. Traditional scholars who have made significant contribution in their fields would also be eligible notwithstanding the absence of any published works.
• Personal income of the applicant (including income of the spouse) must not exceed Rs. 4000/- per month.
• The applicant should not be less than 60 years of age (This does not apply in the case of dependents).
• The applicant artiste is getting pension of at least Rs.500/- per month from the concerned State Government/UT Administration or are recommended by the Zonal Cultural Centres, Ministry of Culture, for the artists of their members State where State Pension is not there.
• The applicant artistes should not be getting financial assistance under other Scheme of the Ministry viz. Repertory Grant etc.

Nature of Assistance

• Financial assistance from the Government may be in the form of monthly allowance. Such allowance given to the Artistes recommended under the Centre- State Quota will be shared by the Centre and State Government/UT Administration concerned, with the latter paying a monthly allowance of at least Rs.500/- per month per beneficiary. The monthly allowance contributed by the Central Government in such cases shall not exceed Rs.5500/- per month per beneficiary. In any circumstances the contribution of Central Government and State Government/UT Administration altogether will not exceed Rs.6000/- per month per beneficiary in which contribution of State Government/UT Administration should be at least Rs.500/- per month per beneficiary. Out of Rs.6000/-, the monthly contribution of allowance of Central Government will be less to the extent the monthly contribution of allowance being provided to the applicant by State Government/UT Administration.[eg. If State Government is already providing Rs.1000/- per month pension to an artiste recommended to get financial assistance from the Central Government under this Scheme, in that case the contribution of Central Government would be only Rs.5000/- per month].
• In respect of State Govt./UT Administration where there is no provision of Artists Pension, Rs. 6000/- per month will be paid as Artist Pension by the Central Government.
• On the death of a recipient, the said financial assistance may be continued at the discretion of the Central Government after examining the financial condition of the dependents. The mode of payment, in case of death of the recipient, of financial assistance will be as under:
• For spouse : Till life
• For dependents : Till marriage or employment or upto the age of 21 years, whichever is earlier.

Application process

• The eligible artistes may submit their applications in prescribed form enclosing therewith the following requisite documents. The applicant artists who are getting pension of atleast Rs.500/- per month from the concerned State Govt./UT Administration may forward their application through respective State Government/UT Administrations with their recommendations. Zonal Cultural Centers, Ministry of Culture will recommend the applications of Artists of their member States/UTs, where there is no provision of Artists Pension. 
• Till the Ministry of Culture allows/develops fully end-to-end receiving online application process, the hard copy of duly filled-in application form for award of Artistes Pension along with all the necessary enclosures as mentioned in the application form may be sent to “The Director, South Central Zonal Cultural Centre, 56/1, Civil Lines, Opposite MLA’s Hostel, Nagpur, Maharashtra, Pin- 440001” through respective State Government/UT Administrations/Zonal Cultural Centers with their recommendations in the prescribed format.
• The application consists of the following.
  • A recent (not older than six months) clear & coloured passport size photograph of the applicant to be affixed on the specified place in the application form;
  • Self-attested copy of any one document from the following listed documents for address proof:-:- (a) Aadhaar Card issued by Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI);
    (b)Elector’s photo identity card;
    (c) Passport;
    (d) Driving License;
    (e) Electricity Bill^;
    (f) Landline telephone or broadband connection bill^;
    (g) Water Bill^;
    (h) Consumer gas connection card or book or piped gas bill^;
    (i) Bank account statement^
    (j) Domicile certificate issued by the Government;
    (k) Passport of the spouse;
    (l) Post office pass book having address of the applicant;
    (m)Property registration document
  • Self-attested copy of any one document from the following listed documents for proof of Date of Birth:-
    (a) Aadhaar Card issued by UIDAI;
    (b)PAN Card 
    (c) Elector’s photo identity card; 
    (d) Passport; 
    (e) Driving License; 
    (f) Birth Certificate issued by the Municipal Authority or any office authorized to issue Birth and Death Certificate by the Registrar of Birth and Deaths;
    (g) Marriage certificate issued by Registrar of Marriages; 
    (h) Matriculation/10thclass certificate or mark sheet of recognized Board; 
    (i) Domicile certificate issued by the Government
  • Self-attested copy of Aadhaar Card issued by UIDAI.
  • Original copy of Income Certificate in the prescribed format [Annexure-I) of the Application Form] issued by the Competent Authority of the State/UTs concerned.
• Copies of relevant documents which support the applicant’s contributions made in the field of Art, Culture etc. or awards, recognition, or distinction received by the applicant from Central/State Government/Union Territory or any prominent Literary or Arts Society.
• Duly filled-in and signed prescribed Bank Authorization letter (Annexure-III of the Application Form) which is verified & signed by the Manager of the concerned Bank (in original).
• Recommendation letter obtained from the Culture Department of concerned Stated Government/UT Administrations in the prescribed format [Part-II of the Application Form]. The recommendation letters from concerned Zonal Cultural Centers, Ministry of Culture to be attached with the application in respect of Artist belonging to States/UTs where there is no provision of Artists Pension in the prescribed format [Part-II of the Application Form] .
• Applications should be submitted in prescribed Form and sent to the following address
  The Director,
  South Central Zonal Cultural Centre,
  56/1, Civil Lines, opposite MLS’s Hostel, Nagpur-440001, Maharashtra

Selection process

• The names of the deserving candidates for award of Artistes Pension will be decided on the basis of financial position and eminence etc. of the applicants by the Central Government on the recommendations of the Expert Committee constituted by Ministry of Culture, subject to availability of fund. The cases of all recommended candidates will be placed before Minister in charge of Ministry of Culture for approval.
• In the light of the recommendations of the State Government/UT Administration, financial means and eminence of the applicants, the quantum of assistance to be granted and the awardees under the Centre-State Quota may be decided by the Expert Committee nominated by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India subject to the availability of funds.
• The quantum of assistance to be met from the "Central Quota" and the awardees will be decided by the Central Government on the recommendations of the Expert Committee after ascertaining the financial position of the applicant. Such cases will invariably be placed before the Minister in charge of the Ministry of Culture for approval.

For more details, contact

• Section Officer, 210, IInd, ‘D’Block, Puratatva Bhawan, G.P.O. Complex, I.N.A. New Delhi-110023. Phone : (011)-24642165.
• Manager (P & GS), Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), 6th & 7th Floor, Jeevan Parkash, 25, Kasturba Gandhi Marg, New Delhi- 110001. Contact Nos. for Enquiries: 23708275, 23705953, Fax No. 23350832, E –mail: bo_g103@licindia.com.

Source : Ministry of Culture