CIHTS culture grant deadline extended to October 31

The Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies in Sarnath has extended applications for the 2026-27 Buddhist and Tibetan culture grant scheme until October 31 at 5 pm. Its October 10 addendum, signed by registrar Dr Sunita Chandra, gives eligible organisations more time to submit proposals through the Varanasi-based institute. The notice changes the submission deadline for the existing call.

CIHTS handles this work as the Central Nodal Agency nominated by the Ministry of Culture's Bureau of Performing Arts. Its CNA page lists cna@cihts.ac.in for scheme enquiries. The Sarnath office is therefore an application and funding contact for this programme, alongside the institute's academic role. Applicants seeking clarification on the current submission process can use that listed contact before finalising their paperwork.

Who can apply and what the grant covers

The scheme serves organisations with a regional or all-India character; it is not restricted to Varanasi applicants. Published instructions require registered societies mainly devoted to Buddhist or Tibetan studies, functioning for at least three years. They must not already receive another grant for the same purpose. Monasteries are among the bodies covered.

The usual annual ceiling is Rs 30 lakh per organisation, with higher assistance possible in exceptional cases. Supported work includes research, books, documentation, monastic education and specified building work. For Uttar Pradesh applicants, central assistance is normally limited to 75 per cent of eligible expenditure, subject to item ceilings. The balance must come from the state or the organisation; different sharing rules apply in the Northeast and Sikkim.

Documents to prepare before October 31

The original invitation, dated August 26, asks for the prescribed application, completed in all respects, with a checklist and the state government's recommendation. The receiving address is the Central Nodal Agency, Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies, Sarnath, Varanasi 221007, Uttar Pradesh. Its original September 15 date has been superseded by the October extension. Organisations should arrange the recommendation as part of their application preparation, rather than treating it as paperwork to add after dispatch.

The invitation separately lists a bond, resolution, bank authorisation letter for a zero-balance account, and agency-registration form among the required enclosures. Organisations that have not registered earlier are directed to register their society with NITI Aayog's NGO Darpan portal. Both its unique identification number and a Public Financial Management System user ID are mandatory, and the bank account must be linked with PAN. These organisational and banking details need attention alongside the proposed cultural activity. The call addresses voluntary Buddhist organisations and institutions, including monasteries registered under the Societies Registration Act or comparable legislation.

The institute's published instructions and checklist also call for three years of audited accounts and annual reports, an activity-wise budget and timetable, and documents relevant to the proposal. Construction requests need additional project and ownership records. Grants are released in two instalments, with the balance dependent on completion and audited utilisation records. Applicants should budget for that reporting work.

What earlier funding figures show

The programme has funded organisations in Uttar Pradesh before. In a July 20 Ministry of Culture statement, the 2025-26 table recorded 36 organisations in the state and Rs 181.81 lakh released under this scheme. The national total was 704 organisations and Rs 2,550.36 lakh. These are earlier-year figures, not money earmarked for the present application round or a list of recipients in Varanasi. The ministry identified the scheme as a component of Kala Sanskriti Vikas Yojana, the central programme supporting cultural organisations and artists across the country.

The same statement separately recorded 216 applications recommended or sanctioned and 74 rejected under the Buddhist and Tibetan culture scheme during 2025-26. That application table measures a different stage from the funds-release table and should not be used to calculate an applicant's chance of success. The ministry also said it does not maintain district-wise data under Kala Sanskriti Vikas Yojana. A statewide total therefore cannot establish how many Sarnath organisations received assistance.

The October 31 cutoff is for submitting applications, not an announced date for grant awards. The extension notice directs applicants to CIHTS and the Culture Ministry for the scheme documents and application checklist.