Museums in state may morph to suit new definition

A new ruling on museums by an international body could leave Indian museums scrambling to update how they display their collections to the public.

In the first week of September, the International Council of Museums (ICOM) is set to vote in Kyoto, Japan, on a new definition of what constitutes a museum, updating a 1970s description which many in the museum community feel is outdated.

The existing definition says that a museum is a “non-profit, permanent institution in the service of society and its development,” involved in the purpose of education, study and enjoyment. Its proposed replacement, however, defines museums as “enhancing the understanding of the world…[and] contributing to human dignity and social justice, global equality and planetary well-being.”

“Modern museums have become institutions with dynamic displays offering a neutral platform for vibrant discussions,” said Vinod Daniel, a board member of ICOM.

India is a different matter, he added. “In India, when most people think about museums, they imagine stuffy buildings filled with static artefacts. Public engagement is minimal.”

His statements are borne out by government data. In 2017-18, 14.7 million people visited the country’s largest museums.

This includes the 1.29 crore visitors to the various National Council of Science Museums, according to the Ministry of Culture. In comparison, 8.6 million people alone visited Paris’ Louvre Museum during that period.

Governmental apathy is evident in the funds allocated to the museums. Of the country’s current budget of Rs 27,86,349 crore, only Rs 3,042.35 crore was allocated to the Ministry of Culture.

Part of the problem, according to Daniel is the neglect of Indian museum staff, who he said must be trained in story-telling skills.

Most museums do not offer the public a platform to examine the issues of the day, including climate change and water issues. A third factor is 100% government funding, which Daniel said was preventing administrators from developing more innovative forms of funding.

State Secretary for Culture, T K Anil Kumar, admitted that total government funding had indeed resulted in a spate of lacklustre museums across the state, but added that the government had now realised the sorry state of affairs

“We are considering a revamp of 16 government-run museums to make them more attractive to the public. The proposals will be formalised in three months,” he said.