Kala Samman Scheme

What is the Kala Samman Scheme?

Kala Samman Scheme is a monthly financial assistance scheme of the Directorate of Art and Culture, Government of Goa. The Government of Goa framed it, in the scheme's own words, to grant financial assistance to eminent artists who are in indigent circumstances, as a token of respect for their contribution in the field of art and culture.

Goa's cultural life rests on people who spent working lifetimes in tiatr, mando, dulpod, Konkani theatre and music, folk forms, and the visual arts; fields that rarely produced a pension, a provident fund or any security in old age. The Kala Samman Scheme is the state's answer to that: not a prize for excellence, but a maintenance payment for artists who have grown old without means.

The scheme states three objectives:

1. To give financial support to artists in indigent circumstances.
2. To grant monthly financial assistance to artists in indigent conditions to meet their daily needs.
3. To recognise the contribution of artists in the field of art and culture.

The original Kala Samman Scheme, 2016 was framed to remain in force up to 31 March 2021. The Directorate of Art and Culture's current scheme page states that the scheme shall remain in force up to 31 March 2028.

How much does Kala Samman pay?

The assistance is granted every year, month by month. The State Cultural Award recipient's higher rate reflects a formal, already-recognised contribution, and, as set out below, such a recipient is also freed from the income test.

Who is eligible for the Kala Samman Scheme?

You can apply if:

• You are an artist in indigent condition.
• You have attained the age of 60 years at the time of applying.
• You have given a contribution in the field of art and culture, or have worked in the field of art and culture.
• Your income does not exceed Rs 48,000 per annum, this clause does not apply where you are a recipient of the State Cultural Award.

You cannot apply if:

• You are below 60 years of age at the time of applying.
• Your income exceeds Rs 48,000 per annum and you are not a State Cultural Award recipient.
• You cannot show a contribution to, or work in, the field of art and culture. The resume and the two references exist precisely to establish this.

One further condition is not about the applicant at all but affects every applicant: the scheme states that the number of cases to be sanctioned shall depend upon the availability of funds for every financial year. Meeting every criterion establishes eligibility; it does not by itself guarantee a sanction in a given year.

The Government has expressly reserved the power to relax all or any clause of the scheme if found deemed fit, for reasons to be recorded. An artist who is just outside a criterion has a basis for asking, in writing, that the case be considered on merit.

What documents does the application need?

Along with a latest passport-size photograph and the application in the prescribed proforma:

1. Attested photocopy of the birth certificate or school leaving certificate as proof of age. Where neither is available, a copy of the Aadhaar card or a baptism certificate certifying the date of birth is accepted. The scheme warns that if the stated date of birth is false or incorrectly presented, the onus lies on the applicant and action deemed fit will be taken.
2. Income certificate from the competent authority.
3. A resume of the applicant artist, giving details of the work done in the field of art and culture.
4. References of two known persons or institutions working in the respective field of art and culture.

The resume and the two references are the heart of the file. An artist whose work was in performance rather than in print should list productions, troupes, venues, years and roles — a committee cannot recognise a contribution it cannot see described.

How to apply for the Kala Samman Scheme

1. Watch for the advertisement. The scheme provides that the Director of Art and Culture shall release an advertisement in local daily newspapers inviting applications from eligible applicants.
2. Apply online at goaonline.gov.in. The scheme was taken online on 11 July 2024. Register on the portal, log in, and go to Services → All Services → Department of Art and Culture → Kala Samman Pension Scheme. An artist who cannot manage the portal may apply through a Common Service Centre or a Village Level Entrepreneur.
3. Complete the prescribed proforma and attach the latest passport-size photograph.
4. Upload or attach the documents, proof of age, the income certificate from the competent authority, the resume detailing your work in art and culture, and the references of two known persons or institutions in your field.
5. Submit the application to the Director of Art and Culture and keep the acknowledgement or reference number.
6. Wait for the Committee. Applications are placed before the Committee constituted by Government, which scrutinises them and makes recommendations.

How is the assistance sanctioned and paid?

For better implementation of the scheme, Government may constitute a Committee, which meets as and when required and considers all applications received by the Director of Art and Culture. After careful scrutiny, the Committee recommends the names of eligible artists for financial assistance.

Once the recommendations are received, the Director of Art and Culture obtains Government approval to the recommended names and disburses the amount to the eligible artist, in functions organised by the Department of Art and Culture or otherwise.

That last phrase is characteristic of the scheme: Kala Samman is intended to be handed over publicly where possible, because recognition is part of what it is for.

Why do Kala Samman applications fail?

• Age below 60 at the date of application.
• Income certificate above Rs 48,000 a year, where the applicant is not a State Cultural Award recipient.
• Resume too thin to establish a contribution to art and culture. The single most common substantive reason.
• References missing, or from persons not working in the applicant's field.
• Proof of age not attested, or a date of birth that does not match across documents.
• Funds exhausted for the financial year, since sanctions depend on availability.

Where the scheme's interpretation is in question, the scheme provides that the decision on interpretation of any clause, word, expression or the entire scheme lies with the Government.

Where do I complain?

The scheme has its own grievance clause and it is unusually direct: if any grievance arises out of implementation of this scheme, the Minister for Art and Culture shall hear and decide the matter, and the decision of the Minister in that regard shall be final.

For everyday queries and file status, the Directorate of Art and Culture can be reached at 0832-2404600 and at dir-dac.goa@nic.in. The Government of Goa's public grievance registration route at goaonline.gov.in remains available.

Practical points

• Write the resume as a record, not a summary. Name the plays, the troupes, the festivals, the years, the instruments, the roles. A committee assessing a lifetime in tiatr or mando needs specifics.
• A State Cultural Award changes two things, not one: the rate rises from Rs 2,500 to Rs 3,200 a month, and the Rs 48,000 income ceiling stops applying. Mention the award prominently if you hold one.
• Get the income certificate from the competent authority, not a self-declaration. This is the document most often returned.
• Apply when the advertisement appears. Because sanctions depend on the year's funds, an application filed early in a cycle is better placed than one filed late.
• Ask for relaxation if you are marginally outside a clause. The Government has expressly kept the power to relax any clause, for reasons recorded, but it has to be asked for.
• The Directorate runs other artist support schemes alongside this one, including grants to cultural organisations and financial assistance for long-term projects in the field of art and culture. Each is applied for separately.

How to check your Kala Samman application status

Kala Samman does not run on a fixed monthly cycle with an automatic status dashboard the way a scholarship portal does. Because the scheme moves through an advertisement, a Committee review, and Government approval before disbursal, "status" here means finding out which of those stages your file has reached, and the applicant has three real routes to do that.

1. Log back into goaonline.gov.in. Since the scheme went online on 11 July 2024, an application filed through Services > All Services > Department of Art and Culture > Kala Samman Pension Scheme carries an application or reference number. Sign in with the same credentials used to apply and check the application's status against that reference number; the portal is the first place to look before calling the office.
2. Keep the acknowledgement number ready before you call. If the portal shows no update, or you applied through a Common Service Centre or Village Level Entrepreneur and are unsure what was submitted on your behalf, call the Directorate of Art and Culture at 0832-2404600 with the reference number in hand. A query without the reference number usually means the office has to search for the file by name, which is slower for both sides.
3. Write in if the phone line does not resolve it. For anything the helpline cannot answer on the spot, especially where a file appears to have moved past the Committee stage without a decision, email dir-dac.goa@nic.in with the applicant's name, application reference, and the date of submission.
4. Understand what "pending" can mean at each stage. An application sits with the Directorate until the Committee constituted by Government meets, since the scheme states the Committee meets "as and when required" rather than on a fixed calendar; it can then sit with the Committee awaiting scrutiny and recommendation, and afterward with Government awaiting approval of the recommended names before the Director disburses the amount. A long gap with no visible movement is often the Committee not yet having met, not a rejection.
5. Escalate through the grievance route only after checking status normally. If the helpline and the portal both leave the query unresolved, the scheme's own grievance clause allows the matter to be raised for the Minister for Art and Culture to hear and decide, but this is meant for disputes over implementation, not a substitute for a first status check.