India and France on Thursday (December 19, 2024) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the development of the new National Museum, on the lines of the Louvre in Paris, at the historic North Block and South Block in the national capital. The museum, named Yuga Yugeen Bharat, when completed would be the largest in the world.
The agreement was signed by Herve Barbaret, Director General and CEO of France Museums, and B.R. Mani, Director General of the National Museum of India.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, who was present at the signing, said that when the South Block and North Block become the kind of museums that are envisaged, “I think we would veritably be seeing the inspiration for the remaking of Bharat.”
“It is a very important expression of international cooperation. We are also seeing a very important cultural collaboration and, as all of you know, culture is in a sense the essence of soft power,” Mr. Jaishankar said.
“With France, we have had a strong relationship, what in our profession we call strategic partnership, and underpinning that India and France see each other as important poles in a multi-polar world,” the External Affairs Minister said.
Union Culture Minster Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said the “adaptive reuse” of the historic North and South Blocks would ensure the preservation of their architectural heritage while creating a vibrant and efficient cultural space. He said that with this agreement, the ties between India and France would become stronger, and would be an inspiration for the entire world.
Through this MoU, ‘France Museums Development’ will collaborate with the Union Culture Ministry on a comprehensive feasibility study, including museum case studies, interpretative planning, and building programming.
The ‘Yuga Yugeen Bharat’ museum will be developed through adaptive reuse in collaboration with France, which is renowned for its expertise in such projects — exemplified by the Louvre, the Grand Palais, and the Hotel de la Marine. This approach mirrors France’s ‘Grand Projects’ initiative that saw the transformation of government buildings into iconic cultural spaces.
The MoU builds upon the Letter of Intent signed in 2020, which emphasised museum and heritage cooperation. During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to France in 2023, another Letter of Intent was formulated, outlining specific areas of technical collaboration for the ‘Yuga Yugeen Bharat’ National Museum, an official statement said.
Sources said Mr. Modi is likely to visit France on February 10-11, 2025 for an event on Artificial Intelligence and innovation in culture.
Credit: thehindu
