Sarkari Yojana
Shilp Guru Award
About Shilp Guru Award
The Ministry of Textiles instituted the Shilp Guru Award for master craftpersons in 2002, marking the ‘Golden Jubilee Year of Handicrafts Resurgence in India’. The honour recognises legendary master craftpersons whose lifelong dedication has helped preserve India’s rich and varied craft heritage while also driving the revival of the handicrafts sector as a whole.
Scheme Overview
Central Government
Ministry Of Textiles
Office Of The Development Commissioner (Handicrafts), Ministry Of Textiles
Individual
Scheme Details
Eligibility Requirements
To qualify for Shilp Guru Award, applicants must satisfy the following conditions:
The applicant must hold Indian citizenship
The applicant must hold Indian citizenship.
The applicant must be a master craftsperson who…
The applicant must be a master craftsperson who is either:
a National or State Awardee of outstanding standing, or
a master craftsperson possessing exceptional skill and a substantial record of contribution to the handicrafts sector.
The applicant must be aged 55 years or…
The applicant must be aged 55 years or above.
The master craftsperson must have at least 20…
The master craftsperson must have at least 20 years of experience in the craft as on 31st December of the preceding year.
The applicant must have contributed meaningfully to the…
The applicant must have contributed meaningfully to the welfare and advancement of the craft and its practitioner community. Note: No more than 10 Shilp Guru Awards are conferred in any given year. Criteria for Selection: Selection of craftspersons is guided chiefly by the following considerations-
Craftsmanship excellence, assessed from the samples submitted along…
Craftsmanship excellence, assessed from the samples submitted along with at least 4 photographs documenting each stage of the exhibit's production, or other evidence such as videography of the process.
Related achievements, judged from the bio-data and supporting…
Related achievements, judged from the bio-data and supporting material furnished by the craftsperson or the sponsoring organisation.
Additional weight may be given to the following…
Additional weight may be given to the following factors when selecting the craftsperson and the craft:
Whether the craft in question is a languishing one.
Whether notable efforts have been made to revive a languishing craft through product diversification or adapting it to contemporary use — in other words, due credit is given to breakthroughs achieved in developing the craft.
Design innovation demonstrated by the craftsperson.
Photographs showing other exhibits produced by the applicant at various stages of processing.
Benefits Provided
Shilp Guru Award provides the following benefits to eligible applicants:
Award Contents:
A cash prize of ₹2,00,000/-
A cash prize of ₹2,00,000/-
One mounted gold coin
One mounted gold coin
One shawl
One shawl
One Tamrapatra Note
One Tamrapatra Note: Besides this, each selected Shilp Guru receives suitable financial assistance to develop new products of high excellence, aesthetic value and quality befitting their standing, extended under the parameters of the Design & Technology Up-gradation scheme run by the Office of the Development Commissioner (Handicrafts). In addition to above:
Shilp Gurus are actively involved in the activities…
Shilp Gurus are actively involved in the activities of RD&TDCs.
Shilp Gurus receive support to take part in…
Shilp Gurus receive support to take part in International Seminars/Exhibitions in India and abroad, enabling an exchange of ideas with internationally reputed craft designers.
Monographs are published on Shilp Gurus who have…
Monographs are published on Shilp Gurus who have made an outstanding contribution to developing, promoting and documenting Indian Art & Craft.
Shilp Gurus are inducted into the Advisory Committees…
Shilp Gurus are inducted into the Advisory Committees of the relevant RD&TDC.
Renowned institutions such as NID, NIFT, IICT and…
Renowned institutions such as NID, NIFT, IICT and IICD are asked to involve Shilp Gurus in their craft-related activities.
Shilp Gurus are included on the State Level…
Shilp Gurus are included on the State Level Committee that selects National Award winners.
EPCH and CEPC are asked to help build…
EPCH and CEPC are asked to help build strong links between Shilp Gurus and exporters.
Documents Required
Applicants should keep the following documents ready before starting the application:
Proof of identity and citizenship
Proof of identity and citizenship.
Certificates for any National or State Awards received…
Certificates for any National or State Awards received (if applicable).
An affidavit declaring that the submitted item was…
An affidavit declaring that the submitted item was created by the applicant.
Bio-data detailing the applicant's experience, awards and contributions
Bio-data detailing the applicant's experience, awards and contributions.
Photographs/videography evidencing the stages of craftsmanship
Photographs/videography evidencing the stages of craftsmanship.
Proof of 20 years of experience in the…
Proof of 20 years of experience in the craft sector.
An affidavit of risk, undertaking that the applicant…
An affidavit of risk, undertaking that the applicant bears responsibility for any damage occurring during transportation.
Evidence of the applicant's contribution to the craft…
Evidence of the applicant's contribution to the craft community.
Any other documents that may be required
Any other documents that may be required.
How to Apply
Offline Application
Applicants can apply for Shilp Guru Award through the offline application process outlined below.
During office hours, the interested applicant should visit…
During office hours, the interested applicant should visit the District Industries Centre (DIC), the Directorate of Industries, or a designated office such as a Regional Development Centre for Handicrafts (RD&TDC), and request a hard copy of the prescribed application form from the staff responsible for issuing and collecting applications.
All mandatory fields in the form should be…
All mandatory fields in the form should be completed, and copies of every required document (self-attested where necessary) should be attached.
The completed, signed form and accompanying documents should…
The completed, signed form and accompanying documents should be submitted to the Assistant Labour Commissioner.
An acknowledgment or receipt should be obtained from…
An acknowledgment or receipt should be obtained from the authority to whom the application was submitted, and it should record key details such as the date and time of submission and a unique identification number, where applicable.
Selection procedure:
Shilp Guru Award entries are selected through a three-tier process.
Handicraft artisans are first assessed at the State Level.
Entries recommended by the various State Level Selection Committees are then screened by the Headquarter Level Selection Committee.
Entries recommended by the Headquarters Level Selection Committee are finally reviewed by the Central Level Selection Committee.
Official Application & Website
Verify the latest eligibility, dates and instructions before applying.