Despite budget cuts and financial difficulties, museums across the world have done well to attract more visitors in the year that has just ended, but what lies ahead? The International Council of Museums, an organisation of museums and museum professionals from 137 countries, has cautioned that the current year would be critical, with no sign of improvement in the global economic situation. More than ever, museums have to urgently innovate ways of remaining relevant to society. This advice and urging, for an entirely different set of reasons, applies unequivocally to India's museums, particularly the government-administered ones. Of the nearly 1,000 museums in the country, over 90 per cent are state-run. The visitor experience they offer is far from enriching and museum practices they adopt are way below global standards. What is of serious concern is the pathetic state of the National Museum, the premier institution in the country. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture, which looked at its functioning last year, found about a quarter of the galleries closed for more than three years, signage and labels of artefacts poorly designed, hardly 7.5 per cent of its two lakh collections exhibited, and the art acquisition committee defunct for the past 16 years.
Complacency has cost Indian museums the funds they badly need. For example, even the measly Rs. 72.36 crore the Central government allotted in 2009-10, was not fully utilised. This led the parliamentary committee to conclude that “allocation to the museums is enough.” So where, then, does the solution lie? The first step towards a turnaround is to improve the ‘quality, range and relevance' of the exhibits. Simultaneously, programmes to involve and engage people have to be put in place. The recommendations by the B.N. Goswamy Committee (2010) on improving museum infrastructure and administration ought to be implemented without delay. Museums across the world are looking at imaginative ways such as virtual displays to make their collections ‘more publicly available' and ‘show a wider volume of material'. Indian museums will do well to adopt these innovations. The Ministry of Culture has tied up with the British Museum for a modest training programme. This is commendable, but given the urgency, capacity-building should be radically stepped up and India's flagship museums placed in the hands of trained professionals selected from among the best in the world rather than babus and bureaucrats.
Keywords: museums, International Council of Museums, British Museum
there is no lack of fund and paves to protect country's heritage it is
right Our rich national heritage should be placed in the hands of
trained professionals selected from among the best in the world rather
than babus and bureaucrats.
One of the most feasible ways is to increase youth participation. The youths of our country are the most important echelon on which depends the whole country whether it be the economy, polity or anything. Efforts should be made to make our museums more suited to their needs, better guides, better amenities, may be even some lucrative ideas, which could attract them . They have to be made enlightened about the achievements or the story behind the various exhibits inside the museum, why the govt been to so trouble to restore them , to protect etc.
Because, no matter what the question remains how many people esp the young ones go to museums to have some fun ???
Normally museums customers are students, research scholars, writers and tourist but maintain it in the way that public should often visit for that innovative way of approach required and needed in this juncture. Make it more attractive place by organsing sessions of knowledge share respect to the kind of museum periodically to make use of that space for this purpose and also gives an forum to experts to share their expertise and experience with gathering. Instead waiting and looking at government for funds those sit in the right chair should communicate with philanthropist and industrialist to funding for building the infrastructure and improving the existing facilities that too in global standards at the same should not lack in adverstising tie up with tourisim department at domestic and international levels to let it be live and active.
Museums speak for the poserity. Any upsurge to the future is possible only if one stands on the terra firma of the past. Here lies the significance of our heritage spots and the museums. It is sad to learn that the funds granted for the upkeep of our museums go unutilised. Those who are responsible for this should be brought to book to prevent recurrence.
Now a days, who wants to go to museums. Nobody wants to go, not because of its too costly or something. But there is nothing to see. Our meusems need the imaginative work from the central government or state government whatever it be, but needs a ingenious process to metamorphosis in our museum. So, its government responsibility to take a step to make our museums beautiful.
Rich Historical heritage of India should be preserved at any cost .
Museum's are the most important part of a country's heritage.The entire tourism of a country depends on how we present ourselves to the world.One probable solution is to encourage colleges to actively form a committee over looking a museum.Since the Museum belongs to the respective state governments it will only be fit for them to employ "Ad Agencies" for restoration of Museums.
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