Manipur student artistes: here’s how to get funded for instruments

Young musicians and performers in Manipur who are struggling to afford instruments now have a state-backed way to cover that cost. The Chief Ministergi Artistesinggi Tengbang, or CMAT: Support for Purchase of Instruments/Equipment, run by the Department of Art and Culture, Government of Manipur, reimburses students for instruments and equipment needed for their training and performances, with 300 students supported every academic year.

Eligibility is built around residence, enrollment and need. An applicant must be a resident or domicile of Manipur and currently studying at one of a specific list of institutes: the Government Dance College, Shree Shree Bal Mukunda Dev Music College, Imphal Art College, Manipur University of Culture, Jawaharlal Nehru Manipur Dance Academy, or the Dance, Music and Fine Art Department of Manipur University. The applicant must be pursuing a course in one of the art forms taught at these institutions and must be under 30 years old, with age calculated as of April 1.

There’s also an income cap: the combined annual income of the applicant and their parents must be below ₹1,00,000. The scheme is aimed squarely at talented students who are not financially well-off but need instruments or equipment to keep training or performing at a professional level. A student can claim the benefit twice over the course of their studies, as long as there’s a gap of at least one year between claims, and the exact amount reimbursed is decided case by case by a Screening Committee.

The application process is offline only, so there’s no portal to log into. Applicants need to print the application form from the scheme guidelines, fill in every mandatory field, and attach self-attested copies of the required documents. Those documents include a passport-size photograph, Aadhaar card, residential or domicile certificate, a reading certificate, proof of age or date of birth, a certificate from the applicant’s teacher confirming the need for instruments or equipment, an income certificate from a Gazetted Officer, the bill or voucher for the purchase, and bank account details. Notably, an income certificate issued by anyone attached to the institution where the applicant studies will not be accepted.

Once the form and documents are ready, they should be submitted, along with a cover letter addressed to the Director of Art & Culture, to the Directorate of Art & Culture, Government of Manipur, at Palace Compound, Imphal. The deadline is tied to the applicant’s schedule: the completed application needs to reach the Directorate at least a month before the relevant performance or travel date. The scheme is entirely state-funded, with no central government contribution, and it is open to applicants regardless of caste, with no gender-based quota either.

The scheme is administered by the Department of Art and Culture, Government of Manipur. Source: myscheme.gov.in

Wikimedia Commons/by Diamond Oina