The Aims & Objectives of Culture, Sports & Youth Affairs Department are:

• From the beginning of the formation of Jharkhand state it has been the intention of the Culture & Sports Department to promote and increase the participation in sports and draw the sports and culture in Jharkhand state together as a more unified body.

• To offer help and advice wherever possible and to be a link between Jharkhand Sports and the National Sports authorities.

With this in mind, the Jharkhand Government have put together a comprehensive development plan to enable them to realize their objectives over the next few years.

In Jharkhand, Art and Culture sector has three wings namely Cultural Affairs, Archaeology and Museums.

Art and Culture:::

The Cultural Affair sector is responsible for looking after all the activities related to the visual and performing art forms and literature. Thus, in a way it is responsible for overall cultural development of the state. Apart from the development of the art forms, the culture sector is also responsible for the artists and literary persons.

In case of Jharkhand there are about 30 tribe, in which 9 are considered primitive who maintain their separate and independent cultural identity. Cultural affairs sector apart from organising cultural programming of dance, drama, music, painting, Kavi Sammelan, etc.  with special emphasis on folk and tribal forms is conducting cultural survey, research and documentation. The study, survey and documentation of the cultural traits of these tribes has been indicated by target in certain specific areas. For the present, survey and research are going on subjects like tribal painting, tattooing, tribal jewelries, tribal musical instruments, tribal dance forms, etc. In the next phase their socio-religious customs like marriage system, child birth rituals, Dhumkuria System, disposal of the dead, etc. will be studied properly. Publication on these subjects and also on their fairs and festivals are being brought out. Research orientated documentary films on such subjects are also being produced.

So far as the annual scheme programmes are concerned, the pogramme calendar has been finalized in a very systematic manner. The programme of talent search, training and workshop, competitions, presentation and promotion are organised in such a way that a talented artist from remote village may get chance to perform on national / international stage. The artists of remarkable achievements are conferred with state Cultural Awards / Honours. For the destitute artists of some standing, Artists Welfare Fund has been created. Specific pogrammes for children have been introduced.

For tribals and other rural artists also some specific pogrammes of training and competition are organised. Grant-in-aid is also given to cultural organisations.

For giving a boost to the cultural movement in the state, a Multi-Purpose Cultural Complex with the symbolic tribal name of Dhumdia Bhavan is being constructed in the state capital very soon. Besides there is a proposal to construct a modern Auditorium with all necessary modern light sound equipment in all district head quarters.  Jharkhand Government is also working with collaboration with zonal cultural centres, Art Academies and Indian Council for Cultural Relations of Government of India for the cultural development of the state. Inter State Cultural Exchange programme are organised in collaboration with these organisations.

Under the cultural affairs sector there are two cultural organisations of the department. The State Chhau dance centre is already functional at Saraikala and is popular as a famous Chau training centre in the world. The other State organisation is Jharkhand Kala Mandir which has been registered recently to conduct research and training programmes in the state. Besides two primer cultural organisations namely Jharkhand Sangeet Natak Academy for performing arts and Jharkhand Lalit Kala Academy for visual arts are also in the offering.

Archaeology and Museums:::

Plenty of hills / hillocks dense forests and several rivers of Jharkhand has made it a suitable abode for human being since long. Obviously, a number of pre-historic sites are present in the valleys of Jharkhand. Specially, in Damodar valley, we get a lot of pre-historic sites from where a lot of stone tools belonging from Early Stone Age to Neolithic times have been found. Archaeological explorations, continuously bringing to light, a number of new stone age sites. Sites of Proto-historic and historic periods have also been found in adequate number.

The Archaeology Sector is responsible for exploration, excavation, recording and publication of such sites apart from conducting scientific conservation of the monuments. In the three years of the creation of the state, the archaeology sector has conducted explorations in Ranchi, Dhanbad and Bokaro districts. The exploration report of Ranchi district has already been published. Survey of several monuments like Maluti Temples (Dumka), Jagannath Temple (Ranchi) and Tanginath Temple (Gumla) have been completed and the detailed survey reports have been published by the Department. Several monuments of the state have been declared protected by the State Government. License for archaeological excavation have been obtained from the Archaeological Survey of India and the excavation at Guhiapal Village in Bahragora bock of East Singbhum has been completed. The site has yielded an interesting result with a number of remarkable antiquities and a lot of potteries belonging to different periods, the earliest are going back to chalcolithic period. This seems to be a site flourishing during early historic period which may throw new light on the history of the state. The excavation report is being prepared.

The conservation works are also being carried out at several sites. Scientific conservation of important monuments is also going on in collaboration with the Ranchi Centre of the Archaeological Survey of India. Some of the sites where conversation works are going on are Maluti Temple, Palamu Fort, Tanginath Temple, Haradih Temple etc.

Under the educational programme, the archaeological photo exhibition in schools and elsewhere have become very popular. Research projects also have been taken up with the help of prominent historians, archaeologists, anthropologists and other scholars.

In the field of Museum, a new State Museum is in offing apart from two existing museums situated at Ranchi and Dumka respectively. Educational Programmes for school children and seminars etc. are being carried out. Establishing of Personalia Museums is also being considered and negotiated are on for establishing Bibhuti Bhushan Badopadhyaya Memorial Museum at Ghatshila.

Thus, when we take a stock of the Department of Art, Culture Sports and Youth Affairs, we feel satisfied that the activities of the Department are proceeding in right direction and at right pace.

Youth Affairs and Sports:::

Since the inception of Department of Art, Culture, Sports and Youth Affairs a number of well thought schemes have been introduced in the field of Youth Affairs, Art and Culture which have started yielding positive results.

The schemes of Youth Affairs and Sports have been so formulated that it induces respect for the principles and values incorporated in our constitution in our Youth. It creates in them awareness regarding the historical and cultural heritage, courage, self confidence, discipline, justice. It also creates awareness in them regarding the values of world peace and international Affairs.

India is famous for its traditions regarding sports and physical health. These traditions still continue in Jharkhand. And we have formulated the sports schemes in our state after preparing a balanced mixture of traditions and modern developments. Our Youth Affairs and Sports schemes include regular training and competition programs keeping in view the sports competitions in the world. Besides, technical expertise and scientific equipment are also taken care of.

We organize school sports programme annually from block to state level and finally a state team is prepared for the National School Games competition in the field of athletics, football, cricket and hockey. The events are National Athletics Competition, National School Cricket Competition, Subrato Mukherjee National Football Tournament, C. K. Naidu National Cricket Competition and Jawaharlal Nehru National Junior / sub-Junior Hockey competition.

All these schemes are implemented in association with School Games Federation of India (SGFI). Other games include Volleyball, Kabaddi, Khoko, Lawn Tennis, Table Tennis, Hand ball, Wrestling, Archery, Boxing, Chess and Carrom.

Rural Sports Programmes are also our annual feature. The events under this programme includes Archery, Weight Lifting, Football, Khoko, Athletics, Kabaddi, Hockey, Wrestling and Tug of War. These events are organised from block to state level and are helpful in locating rural sports talents. On the basis of these competitions, a state level team is constituted which participates in the National Rural Games Competition.

Our other ambitious scheme is women’s Sports Progarmme. Sports Authority of India organises National Women’s Sports programme annually. This scheme helps in locating women sports talents even from villages who after proper selection are sent with state contigent to participate in the national event.

Apart from all these a talent search progamme is also organised. For implementing this scheme presently six sports training centres for hockey (3), athletics (2) and football (1) are established in Ranchi, Gumla and Latehar respectively. There is a proposal under consideration to establish a few more such Sports training centres at Dumka and Hazaribagh etc. Very soon all the districts headquarters will be equipped with at least one sports training centre each. To encourage sports activities in the state. Players Welfare Fund has been established for the players living in destitute condition. Grants-in-aid are being provided to sports bodies. State Sports Awards and cash prizes are being conferred on the players who bring laurels to the state in form of medals in National / International sports events.

National Sports events are being organised in the state. Recently IX National Youth Festival was held at Jameshedpur and National Wrestling Competition was held at Ranchi which was sponsored by the state government. For a newly created state like Jharkhand, it is a matter of great pride that the National Games 2007 has been allotted to it. The preparations for this great event are on. The existing stadium is being renovated and expended and of about Rs. 200 Crores with Mega Sports Complex is coming up in Ranchi very soon. Sports village is also in offing. Thus, in the next coming months, the sports scenario in the state will change considerably with the completion of the international standard sports complex and development of other sports infrastructure at Ranchi and elsewhere in the state.

In the Youth Affairs sector, the NSS camping schemes are being organised under various themes. As such, there are several aspects which have been covered liked adoption of villages for intensive upliftment works, carrying out of medico-social services setting up of medical centres, programmes of mass immunization, sanitation drive, literacy programmes for the tribals and other weaker section of the community, blood donation, providing assistance to the patients in the hospitals, tree plantation and so on, so forth. NSS volunteers from Ranchi University, Binoba Bhave University (Hazaribagh), Sido-Kanu University (Santahl Pargana) have done commendable works through above mentioned and other similar camps. Now the Units of NSS volunteers are being alloted to other important institute like BIT (Mesra) etc.

In the field of NCC and Scoute and Guides also adventure sports and other similar youth activities are taking place. Recently sate level Integration Camp was successfully organised by Bharat Scouts and Guides at Ranchi.

Cultural Affairs:::

In the cultural Affairs sector, lot of work has been done in the last three years. These development schemes will be increased in the coming years.

At present, the Government Chhau Dance Centre at Saraikela and branches of Bhartiya Nritya Kala Mandir at Ranchi and Dumka are functioning under the department. The centres are required to be developed in this newly created state. Steps are being taken to convert Bhartiya Nritya Kala Mandir into Jharkhand Kala Mandir which has been registered under societies Registration Act 1860 (xxii)

At present, only two posts of Asstt. Director (culture) are existing in the cultural affairs sector. Therefore, it is necessary to create some new posts at headquarters, division and district levels for strengthening this sector, so that, proper protection is provided to the culture in the state. Many of the state's tribal and folk forms are on the verge of extinction, therefore, proper steps are necessary to protect such art forms. It is necessary to impart technical training to upcoming artists in their respective field of Art. Research, Survey, Documentation and Cultural Publications are also necessary. Besides it is also necessary to provide the folk and tribal artists the opportunities to perform / exhibit on national and international levels for which required help will be sought from I.C.C.R. / Zonal cultural centres with an aim to develop the art and culture and to check the terrorism in the state, the cultural competitions at district level will be necessary. During the last and current (2003-04) financial year, a lot of work has been done on these above mentioned points.

State Sangeet Natak Academy and Lalit Kala Academy are being constituted in the state to provide protection and conservation to art and culture to achieve this aim, a multi purpose cultural complex is being constructed at Ranchi for which agreement is being signed with the architect.