Union Minister of Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat inaugurated a three-day ‘State Museum Conclave’ on Thursday to discuss the development of the ‘Yuga Yugeen Bharat Museum’. The event, organized by the Ministry of Culture, is taking place from August 1-3 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.

The conclave aims to enhance collaboration between state museums and the central government to realize Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for a museum adhering to global best practices. Shekhawat expressed optimism that the conclave would bolster India’s museum sector, providing hands-on training and fostering collaboration on the ‘Yuga Yugeen Bharat Museum’ (YYBM) project. He underscored the importance of cooperative federalism and a unified government approach in shaping the museum, aligning with India’s vision of ‘Development and Heritage.

The Ministry of Culture will also outline funding opportunities during the conclave, including updates to the Museum Grant Scheme and the Scheme for Promotion of Culture of Science.

The ‘Yuga Yugeen Bharat Museum’ will be a centerpiece of the Central Vista Redevelopment project near Raisina Hill in New Delhi. Covering 154,000 square meters, it will be the largest museum in the world. Prime Minister Narendra Modi first introduced the museum through a video walkthrough at the International Museum Expo in May 2023.

The museum will be developed through adaptive reuse in collaboration with France, leveraging their expertise from similar projects like the Louvre.