2. Integration Status 0f ODOP And MGMD Initiatives

The Ministry of Culture recently clarified the operational boundaries between the One District One Product (ODOP) scheme and the Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar (MGMD) initiative. For UPSC aspirants, understanding the distinction between \'cultural mapping\' and \'commercial promotion\' is vital for questions on rural development and governance. • Core Objective of MGMD: The Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar initiative serves strictly as a comprehensive digital repository designed to document both tangible and intangible cultural heritage at the village level across India. • Non-Integration with ODOP: Currently, there is no provision to integrate the MGMD database with the One District One Product (ODOP) scheme, as the two serve different ministerial mandates (Culture vs. Commerce & Industry). • Funding Constraints: The MGMD program, operating under the National Mission on Cultural Mapping (NMCM), does not possess a mandate for sanctioning infrastructure funds or financial allocations for rural tourism development.• Functional Distinction: Unlike ODOP, which focuses on commercial scalability and export potential of local products, MGMD is limited to archival documentation and does not engage in commercial or trade-related activities. • Crowdsourcing Mechanism: The MGMD portal utilizes a participatory model where local communities contribute cultural data through a \'Contribute\' feature, which is then strictly validated and moderated to ensure factual accuracy. • Geographic Mapping Progress: Significant progress has been reported in village mapping across states like Bihar (Samastipur, Khagariya), Madhya Pradesh (Sagar), and Gujarat (Surat), creating a localized cultural database. KEY DEFINITIONS AND SCHEMATIC CONTEXT • Tangible Heritage: Physical artifacts such as monuments, inscriptions, and traditional crafts that have a geographical presence. • Intangible Heritage: Living expressions inherited from ancestors, such as oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, and festive events. • National Mission on Cultural Mapping (NMCM): A mission-mode project aimed at creating a consolidated database of India\'s cultural assets to aid in better policy-making and heritage conservation. • One District One Product (ODOP): An initiative aimed at selecting, branding, and promoting at least one product from each district to transform them into manufacturing and export hubs. CONSTITUTIONAL AND LEGAL PROVISIONS • Article 49 (DPSP): It is the obligation of the State to protect every monument or place or object of artistic or historic interest, declared by or under law made by Parliament to be of national importance. • Article 51A(f): Fundamental Duty to value and preserve the rich heritage of our composite culture. • Seventh Schedule: \'Libraries, museums and other similar institutions controlled or financed by the State\' and \'Ancient and historical monuments\' fall under the State List and Concurrent List respectively, necessitating coordinated efforts like NMCM. CONCLUSION While the ODOP and MGMD initiatives both focus on the \'local\' aspect of Indian districts, they operate in silos of commerce and culture respectively. The refusal to integrate these schemes highlights the government\'s intent to keep cultural documentation free from commercial influences, ensuring that the MGMD remains an authentic digital archive for scholars, citizens, and future generations. UPSC RELEVANCE • GS Paper I: Indian Culture - Salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature, and Architecture from ancient to modern times; Rural Sociology. • GS Paper II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.• GS Paper III: Economic Development - Inclusive growth and issues arising from it; link between local industries and national economy