History:
The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) was founded in 1950 by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, independent India’s first Education Minister.
It is an autonomous organisation of the Government of India aimed at strengthening India's external cultural relations through exchanges with other countries and people to people connect.
Objectives:
Its objectives are:
to actively participate in the formulation and implementation of policies and programmes pertaining to India’s external cultural relations;
to foster and strengthen cultural relations and mutual understanding between India and other countries;
to promote cultural exchanges with other countries and people; and
to develop relations with nations.
Activities:
The Indian Council of Cultural Relations addresses its mandate to foster cultural relations though vaious activities.
In addition the Council has published a wide range of books, covering a variety of culturally oriented subjects. Published works include the writings of eminent Indian statesmen and philosophers l
like Mohandas K. Gandhi, Maulana Azad, Jawaharlal Nehru and Abanindranath Tagore.
The ICCR's Publication Programme, focusses on books relating to Indian culture, philosophy and mythology, traditional music, dance, and theatre. Translation of Sanskrit classics into foreign languages (including French, Spanish, Arabic, Russian and English) and translating works of World Literature into Hindi and other Indian languages is central to the ICCR philosophy of cultural exchange and diversity.
