Sarkari Yojana
Scheme For Financial Assistance For Veteran Artists
About Scheme For Financial Assistance For Veteran Artists
Previously called the “Scheme for Pension and Medical Aid to Artists”, the Ministry of Culture’s “Scheme for Financial Assistance for Veteran Artists” aims to improve the financial and socio-economic condition of elderly artists and scholars who made significant contributions to their specialized fields — arts, letters, and similar areas — whether during their active years or still ongoing, but who now face hardship or penury due to old age. Under the scheme, the Government offers financial assistance as a monthly allowance; where artists are recommended under the Centre-State quota, this allowance is shared between the Centre and the concerned State Government/UT Administration. The following two types of cases/requests will be covered under the Scheme:
1. Existing beneficiaries already receiving a monthly artistes’ pension under the 1961 Scheme of ‘Financial Assistance to Persons Distinguished in Letters, Arts and such other walks of life who may be in indigent circumstances’, as amended over time; and 1. Fresh cases of artists, writers, and others who qualify for a grant/monthly financial assistance under the scheme’s current guidelines.
Administration of the Scheme: The Ministry implements the Scheme with support from all Zonal Cultural Centres, with SCZCC, Nagpur, acting as the main coordinator. The Ministry may modify the Scheme’s provisions at any time, and to ensure smooth implementation, the guidelines are shared widely with State Governments/UT Administrations, along with data on Central Government beneficiaries.
Scheme Overview
Central Government
Ministry Of Culture
Individual
Scheme Details
Eligibility Requirements
To qualify for Scheme For Financial Assistance For Veteran Artists, applicants must satisfy the following conditions:
The applicant's contribution to art, letters, or similar…
The applicant's contribution to art, letters, or similar fields must be significant.
Traditional scholars with significant contributions are eligible too,…
Traditional scholars with significant contributions are eligible too, even without any published works.
The applicant's personal income, including the spouse's income,…
The applicant's personal income, including the spouse's income, must not exceed ₹4,000/- per month or ₹48,000/- annually (this excludes any artiste pension already received from the State/UT Government or Ministry of Culture).
The applicant must be at least 60 years…
The applicant must be at least 60 years old (this condition doesn't apply to a spouse).
The applicant must already be drawing at least…
The applicant must already be drawing at least ₹500/- per month as pension from the concerned State Government/UT Administration, or be recommended by a Zonal Cultural Centre, Ministry of Culture, for artists from member states with no State Pension.
The applicant must not be receiving financial assistance…
The applicant must not be receiving financial assistance under other Ministry schemes, such as the Repertory Grant.
Benefits Provided
Scheme For Financial Assistance For Veteran Artists provides the following benefits to eligible applicants:
Eligible beneficiaries receive a total allowance of ₹6,000/-…
Eligible beneficiaries receive a total allowance of ₹6,000/- per month.
Should a pension-receiving beneficiary pass away, the Central…
Should a pension-receiving beneficiary pass away, the Central Government may, at its discretion, transfer the financial assistance to the spouse for the rest of their life. Note 01: The concerned State Government/UT Administration's monthly contribution must be at least ₹500/- per beneficiary. Note 02: The Central Government's monthly contribution will not exceed ₹5,500/- per beneficiary. Note 03: Of the ₹6,000/- total, the Central Government's share will always be less than the State Government's/UT Administration's contribution. Note 04: Where a State Government already pays ₹1,000/- per month to an artiste recommended for Central assistance under this Scheme, the Central Government's contribution will be limited to ₹5,000/- per month. Note 05: Where a State Government/UT Administration has no Artist's Pension provision, the Central Government pays the full ₹6,000/- per month as Artist Pension. Note 06: In the event of a beneficiary's death, the spouse's request for transfer of pension, along with relevant documents, must reach the Ministry of Culture within one year of the death; after this period, the claim is forfeited and no further request will be entertained.
Documents Required
Applicants should keep the following documents ready before starting the application:
A recent (within the last six months), clear,…
A recent (within the last six months), clear, colour passport-size photograph, affixed at the designated spot on the application form
Self-attested copy of one address-proof document
Self-attested copy of one address-proof document: Aadhaar Card (UIDAI), Elector's photo ID card, Passport, Driving Licence, Electricity Bill, Landline/broadband bill, Water Bill, Gas connection card/book or piped gas bill, Bank account statement, Government-issued Domicile certificate, Spouse's passport, Post office passbook showing the applicant's address, or Property registration document
Self-attested copy of one date-of-birth proof document
Self-attested copy of one date-of-birth proof document: Aadhaar Card (UIDAI), PAN Card, Elector's photo ID card, Passport, Driving Licence, Municipal/Registrar-issued Birth Certificate, Registrar-issued Marriage certificate, Matriculation/10th class certificate or mark sheet, or Government-issued Domicile certificate
Self-attested copy of Aadhaar Card (UIDAI)
Self-attested copy of Aadhaar Card (UIDAI)
Original Income Certificate in the prescribed format [Annexure-II(A)],…
Original Income Certificate in the prescribed format [Annexure-II(A)], issued by the competent State/UT authority
Copies of documents supporting the applicant's contributions to…
Copies of documents supporting the applicant's contributions to Art/Culture, or any awards/recognition/distinction received from the Central/State Government/UT or a prominent Literary or Arts Society
Duly filled and signed Bank Authorization letter (Annexure-IV),…
Duly filled and signed Bank Authorization letter (Annexure-IV), verified and signed in original by the concerned Bank Manager
Recommendation letter from the Culture Department of the…
Recommendation letter from the Culture Department of the concerned State Government/UT Administration, in the prescribed format [Part-II of the Application Form (Appendix)] In case of pension transfer to the spouse on the beneficiary's death:
Original or self-attested copy of the deceased beneficiary's…
Original or self-attested copy of the deceased beneficiary's death certificate
Documentary proof that the deceased beneficiary was receiving…
Documentary proof that the deceased beneficiary was receiving an artistes' pension
Legal heir certificate in the prescribed format from…
Legal heir certificate in the prescribed format from the competent authority, plus an SDM/1st Class Magistrate affidavit in the prescribed format
Self-attested copy of the spouse's Digital Life Certificate…
Self-attested copy of the spouse's Digital Life Certificate (DLC), processed via the Jeevan Pramaan Portal https://jeevanpramaan.gov.in
Self-attested copy of the spouse's latest Income Certificate…
Self-attested copy of the spouse's latest Income Certificate in the prescribed format [Annexure-II(A)/(B)], issued by the concerned State/UT competent authority
Self-attested copy of the spouse's Aadhaar Card (UIDAI)
Self-attested copy of the spouse's Aadhaar Card (UIDAI)
Self-attested copy of any address-proof document for the…
Self-attested copy of any address-proof document for the spouse
An undertaking that the spouse is not receiving…
An undertaking that the spouse is not receiving financial assistance for the same purpose under any other Ministry of Culture scheme or another Central Government Ministry/Department
Bank Authorization Letter in the prescribed format (Annexure-IV)
Bank Authorization Letter in the prescribed format (Annexure-IV)
How to Apply
Online Application
Applicants can apply for Scheme For Financial Assistance For Veteran Artists through the online application process outlined below.
Application Procedure: Applications can be submitted online via the Registration/Login page of the "Culture Scheme Monitoring System (CSMS)" on the Ministry of Culture's website, under "MOC Schemes Application". Selection of Applicants for Award of Artists Pension:
Application Portal: Open Application Portal ↗
Applications from eligible artists, found complete in every…
Applications from eligible artists, found complete in every respect, are placed before an Expert Committee constituted by the Ministry of Culture, after a physical inspection/verification of the applicant is carried out by Ministry officers or one of its organizations.
The Expert Committee reviews applications against the Scheme's…
The Expert Committee reviews applications against the Scheme's current guidelines and recommends deserving candidates for the Artists' Pension, based purely on merit, the applicant's financial position, and their eminence.
The Administration Division examines the Expert Committee's recommendations…
The Administration Division examines the Expert Committee's recommendations against the Scheme guidelines, government rules, and fund availability, to help the Competent Authority reach a decision.
All recommended cases are finally sent for approval…
All recommended cases are finally sent for approval by the Competent Authority, positioned one level above the Expert Committee's Chairperson. The Internal Finance Division's concurrence is obtained before financial assistance is released to approved candidates. Disbursement of artist's pension: Monthly Artist Pension for both existing beneficiaries and newly approved artists — added to the list after Expert Committee recommendation and Competent Authority approval — is disbursed by the Ministry of Culture via the Public Financial Management System (PFMS)/Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), or through a Service Provider appointed by the Ministry, directly into the beneficiary's bank account, subject to the mandatory online submission of the following documents to the Artistes Pension Section's email — documents.moc@gmail.com or artistspension.moc@gmail.com — and their satisfactory scrutiny: 1. Every November, the beneficiary's Digital Life Certificate (DLC) is processed via the Jeevan Pramaan Portal (https://jeevanpramaan.gov.in), using their Aadhaar number, mobile number, and Pension Payment Order (PPO) as displayed on the Ministry's website. [Beneficiaries residing in Assam, Meghalaya, and Jammu & Kashmir may instead submit a coloured scanned copy of their original Life Certificate, until Aadhaar becomes mandatory there.] 2. Every five years, a coloured scanned copy of the original Income Certificate, in the prescribed format, must be issued by the concerned State/UT competent authority. Beneficiaries must also furnish any other document the Ministry may request from time to time; failure to do so, or any discrepancy found in submitted documents, may result in the pension being withheld or stopped until resolved. Renewal of financial assistance to existing beneficiaries: Subject to the above, the recurring monthly allowance sanctioned to existing beneficiaries continues for whatever period the Central Government decides, or on a year-to-year basis upon receipt of their Digital Life Certificate (DLC) and Income Certificate. Discontinuance of allowance: Should a recipient's financial means improve beyond ₹4,000/- per month or ₹48,000/- annually (excluding any artiste pension already received from the Government), the allowance is discontinued immediately without notice. The Government may also terminate the allowance at its discretion, after giving three months' notice. A recipient may also voluntarily give up the allowance by written notice to the Government, in which case it stops from the date of that letter. Contact Details: 1. Section Officer, 210, IInd, 'D' Block, Puratatva Bhawan, G.P.O. Complex, I.N.A. New Delhi-110023. : (011)-24642165. 2. Manager (P & GS), Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), 6th & 7th Floor, Jeevan Parkash, 25, Kasturba Gandhi Marg, New Delhi- 110001. 3. Contact Nos. for Enquiries: 23708275, 23705953, Fax No. 23350832, Email: bo_g103at]licindiadot]com
Offline Application
Applicants can apply for Scheme For Financial Assistance For Veteran Artists through the offline application process outlined below.
Application Portal: Open Application Portal ↗
A hard copy of the duly filled application…
A hard copy of the duly filled application form for Artists' Pension, along with all necessary enclosures listed in the form, should be sent through the applicant's State Government/UT Administration, with their recommendation in the prescribed format, to: "The Director, South Central Zonal Cultural Centre, 56/1, Civil Lines, Opposite MLA's Hostel, Nagpur, Maharashtra - 440001".
All entries must be legible and clearly filled…
All entries must be legible and clearly filled in. Every page of the application and its enclosures should be serially numbered and signed by the applicant, with each document's page number clearly noted on the checklist.
Official Application & Website
Verify the latest eligibility, dates and instructions before applying.