5 Years On, Indira Gandhi Centre For Arts Still Awaits Permanent Home

Five years after it was moved out of its original premises for the Central Vista redevelopment, the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) still has no permanent home.

A letter written to the Culture Secretary in the first week of October flagged the delay, NDTV has learnt. The national arts centre was supposed to be allocated land three years ago. The process remains pending.

IGNCA has approached the authorities at least five to six times since 2021, seeking clarity on its permanent campus. The proposed site spans 14 acres at Jamnagar House, opposite Hyderabad House, in central Delhi.

The institution was shifted to the refurbished Hotel Janpath building on July 1, 2021. The move was meant to be temporary, until its new campus was ready. Five years later, it remains there.

Established in 1987 in memory of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, IGNCA is an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Culture. It was conceived as a centre for the study of the arts and their links with culture, history and other disciplines. Its work spans visual and performing arts, literature, tribal and folk traditions, and India's diverse cultural practices.

IGNCA also houses extensive collections of manuscripts, photographs, films and other archival material. Through research, exhibitions, seminars, publications and cultural programmes, it documents and promotes India's artistic heritage. Its proposed permanent campus was expected to bring these activities together, with dedicated facilities for research, exhibitions, performances and archival preservation.

The new campus was also expected to address the limitations of IGNCA's earlier premises. The relocation was part of the larger Central Vista redevelopment, which required the institution's former premises for new government office buildings.

But while the redevelopment has moved ahead, IGNCA's transition remains incomplete. Its permanent campus is still awaiting allocation, despite repeated requests to the authorities.

Five years after leaving its original home, the institution continues to function from temporary premises, with no clear timeline for its permanent campus.