Veteran Artists Pension Statistics: Artists Supported by Year
· 1 min read · 3 official sources
The Ministry of Culture supported 3,651 veteran artists with Rs 18.59 crore in 2022-23 under its Financial Assistance for Veteran Artists scheme, according to its ten-year achievement report. Year-wise numbers of artists and money released from 2014-15 to 2022-23 are below.
Scheme for Financial Assistance for Veteran Artists: key numbers
Infographic
Veteran artists supported by year, 2014-15 to 2022-23
Number of artists supported and amount released under the Scheme for Financial Assistance for Veteran Artists in each financial year, from the Ministry of Culture's ten-year achievement report.
| Year | Artists supported | Amount released (Rs crore) |
|---|---|---|
| 2014-15 | 3,469 | 17.64 |
| 2015-16 | 2,788 | 13.86 |
| 2016-17 | 3,376 | 13.17 |
| 2017-18 | 3,376 | 15.30 |
| 2018-19 | 4,120 | 19.73 |
| 2019-20 | 3,188 | 18.17 |
| 2020-21 | 2,000 | 8.71 |
| 2021-22 | 3,209 | 15.42 |
| 2022-23 | 3,651 | 18.59 |
Source: culture.gov.in, as on 31 March 2023
How a veteran artist gets monthly assistance
What the numbers show
The Financial Assistance for Veteran Artists scheme pays a monthly allowance to artists aged 60 and above who contributed to the arts but now live on a low income. The Ministry of Culture's ten-year achievement report shows 3,651 artists supported in 2022-23, with Rs 18.59 crore released. That is the second highest count in the nine years shown, after 4,120 artists in 2018-19.
The trend since 2014-15
The number of artists has moved between about 2,800 and 4,100 in most years. The low point was 2020-21, when 2,000 artists were supported and Rs 8.71 crore released. Numbers recovered to 3,209 in 2021-22 and 3,651 in 2022-23. The report does not explain the yearly swings.
Money released rose faster than the number of artists in 2022-23. The Ministry told Lok Sabha in July 2024 that the monthly assistance was raised from Rs 4,000 to Rs 6,000 with effect from June 2022, so the 2022-23 figure is the first year at the higher rate.
Changes to the scheme
The same Lok Sabha reply listed other changes. Income certificates are now needed once in five years instead of every year. Artists who do not get a State artist pension can now be verified by a Zonal Cultural Centre instead. Since an agreement signed with Canara Bank on 28 June 2023, the bank pays the assistance directly to beneficiaries.
What the figures do not tell you
The report gives national totals only. It does not show how many artists are in each state, how many applications were turned down, or how many new artists were added in a year compared with those continuing. Figures after 2022-23 have not been published in the same form.
Where to check
Scheme guidelines and application forms are on the Ministry of Culture website. The Ministry also answers Parliament questions on the scheme, which are published on PIB and sansad.in.
Frequently asked questions
How many artists get the veteran artists pension?
The Ministry of Culture supported 3,651 artists under the scheme in 2022-23, according to its ten-year achievement report covering the period up to March 2024. The figure was 3,209 in 2021-22.
How much does the government spend on veteran artists?
Rs 18.59 crore was released in 2022-23 and Rs 15.42 crore in 2021-22. The highest amount in the years shown was Rs 19.73 crore in 2018-19, when 4,120 artists were supported.
Why was 2020-21 so low?
Only 2,000 artists were supported and Rs 8.71 crore released in 2020-21, the lowest in the nine years shown. The Ministry's report does not give a reason for the dip.
How much does a veteran artist get each month?
Up to Rs 6,000 a month. The Ministry told Lok Sabha in July 2024 that the amount was raised from Rs 4,000 to Rs 6,000 a month with effect from June 2022.
Is this a pension under government pension rules?
No. The Ministry has said the assistance is not a pension in the conventional sense governed by CCS (Pension) rules, even though it is often called the artist pension.
Eligibility, documents and how to apply: Scheme for Financial Assistance for Veteran Artists full guide
Charts, data files and the infographic are free to download, share and embed with a link back to this page.
Sources
This guide was checked against these official pages:
- culture.gov.in (culture.gov.in/files/inline-documents/10_year_achievement_MoC_till_March_2024.pd)
- pib.gov.in (www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2038493)
- culture.gov.in (culture.gov.in/offering/schemes-services/scheme-financial-assistance-veteran-art)