Speaker: Dr. Dipak De Professor Department of Extension Education, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India

India is a nation painted with rich and diverse hues & colors of cultures, traditions, values, climate, flora, fauna, religions, languages, dialects, dressing patterns, lifestyle and rituals. This very presence of diversity of different cultures in the present digital era, calls for their protection and promotion by means of formulating such cultural policies which will favour the integration of digital technologies like the internet.

 Cultural goods and services encompass artistic, aesthetic, symbolic and spiritual values. The characteristics of cultural goods and services differ from other products because their system of valorisation, which includes a characteristic irreproducible, is linked to its appreciation or pleasure (Throsby, 2001).

 Cultural goods convey ideas, symbols and ways of life, some of which may be subject to copyrights.  Cultural services do not represent material cultural goods in themselves but facilitate their production and distribution. For example, cultural services include licensing activities and other copyright- related services, audio-visual distribution activities, promotion of performing arts and cultural events, as well as cultural information services and the preservation of books, recordings and artefacts (in libraries, documentation centres, and museums). Most of these goods and services are subject to copyright( UNESCO Framework for cultural statistics, 2009 ).

As per the Article 4 of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, 2005, the terms like Cultural activities, goods and services, Cultural industries, Cultural policies and measures and Protection are defined.

“Cultural activities, goods and services” refers to those activities, goods and services, which at the time they are considered as a specific attribute, use or purpose, embody or convey cultural expressions, irrespective of the commercial value they may have. Cultural activities may be an end in themselves, or they may contribute to the production of cultural goods and services.

 Do the students really perceive cultural goods and services as these stand for?  Should the cultural goods and services be brought in the digital ambit?

 To know the perception of students of Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, towards the challenges and opportunities involved in the aggrandizement of protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural goods and services in the present digital era.  To know their perception towards cultural policies in India, international co-operation and integration of new technologies in connection with the diversity of cultural goods and services in the era of digitalization.

 The study was conducted in the Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, which was purposively selected to conduct the survey because it’s one of the most reputed Agricultural Institute in Northern India and the investigator belongs to Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi.  Also, due to limited time and resources the study was limited to IAS, BHU only.

 The students pursuing for Post-graduate and Doctoral program formed the universe of the study and the list for the same was obtained from Academic Office of IAS, BHU.  Out of the universe of 573 students, a total of 100 students were selected randomly for the purpose of study.  The data was collected through questionnaire of Michele Rioux (2014), with slight modifications during the month of December,  Statistical methods like frequency, percentage and ranking were used for precise and meaningful analysis of the collected data.

A. Challenges and opportunities for the diversity of cultural goods and services in the digital era

Digital technology, and in particular the Internet represents a challenge for the: Frequency S.No.TAPANeutralPDTD 1 Production/creation of cultural goods and services 72 (72.00) 15 (15.00) 12 (12.00) 01 (1.00) 0 (0.00) 2 Distribution/broadcasting of cultural goods and services 72 (72.00) 15 (15.00) 12 (12.00) 01 (1.00) 0 (0.00) 3 Consumption of/access to cultural goods and services 75 (75.00) 15 (15.00) 09 (9.00) 01 (1.00) 0 (0.00) 4 Training/capacity building of cultural actors 70 (70.00) 15 (15.00) 14 (14.00) 01 (1.00) 0 (0.00) 5 Education/public awareness to the importance of protecting and promoting the diversity of cultural expressions 75 (75.00) 15 (15.00) 09 (9.00) 01 (1.00) 0 (0.00)

Since the advent of digital technology and the Internet in India, there is: Frequency S.No.TAPANeutralPDTD 1 An increase in the foreign cultural offer in India 80 (80.00) 01 (1.00) 11 (11.00) 01 (1.00) 0 (0.00) 2 An increase in the national cultural offer 80 (80.00) 08 (08.00) 11 (11.00) 01 (1.00) 0 (0.00) 3 An increased international visibility of national cultural goods and services 80 (80.00) 08 (08.00) 11 (11.00) 01 (1.00) 0 (0.00) 4 An equilibrium between the national and foreign cultural content offer 72 (72.00) 12 (12.00) 15 (15.00) 01 (1.00) 0 (0.00)

S.No.StatementsFrequencyRank 1 An increased access to a wide variety of digital cultural goods and services 89 (89.00) I 2 A concentration of supply and a consistent consumption of imported cultural goods and services 41 (41.00) IV 3 A restructuring of cultural industries with new players and new supply networks 32 (32.00) V 4 The creation of new cultural business models related to the development of digital technologies 60 (60.00) III 5An increase in the free sharing of digital cultural content78 (78.00) II

S.No. Political authorities responsible for culture in India have taken any measures or adopted cultural policies integrating digital technologies FrequencyPercentage 1Yes No Don’t Know

S.No.MeasuresFrequencyPercentage 1 Support for artists and creators of digital cultural goods and services (creation phase) Development of mechanisms to support the production of digital cultural goods and services (production phase) Promotion of mechanisms for the distribution of cultural goods and services (distribution phase) Promotion of a balanced access to domestic and foreign digital cultural contents (consumption phase) Others00.00

S.No.Level of satisfactionFrequencyPercentage 1Totally satisfied Partially satisfied Neutral Partially dissatisfied Totally dissatisfied00.00

S.No.ResponseFrequencyPercentage 1Yes No Don’t Know

S.No.StatementsFrequencyRank 1 Guaranteeing a better share of income gained on digital networks to answer the financial needs of artists and content creators 65 (65.00) III 2 Adopt regulation to insure that Internet service providers (ISPs) contribute to funds dedicated to local productions 87 (87.00) I 3 Promote access to new digital broadcasting platforms to better export and promote the diversity of cultural expressions 72 (72.00) II 4 Adapt the concept of cultural exception to meet the challenges of the digital age and ensure access to local cultural goods and services, specifically in the context of the domination of Web giants 38 (38.00) V 5 Better manage the development and distribution of legal digital cultural goods and services to reduce piracy 51 (51.00) IV 6Provide grants and subsidies to support artists and cultural professionals in the new context of digital technologies 28 (28.00) VI

S.No.StatementsFrequencyRank 1 Adopt policies to support the creation of digital platforms that will improve online access to cultural goods and services 90 (90.00) I 2 Establish tax incentives to encourage the creation/production of digital cultural goods and services 81 (81.00) II 3 Develop digital strategies to increase public awareness of the local and global cultural offer 27 (27.00) VI 4 Strengthen the capacity of artists and cultural professionals to use digital tools/platforms/media, and promote increased sharing of ICT best practices 69 (69.00) III 5Establish policies to better showcase local cultural content 53 (53.00) IV 6Strengthen advocacy for the diversity of cultural expressions by building on existing structures and networks, including civil society groups 41 (41.00) V

C. International cooperation and the diversity of cultural goods and services in the digital age

S.No.StatementsFrequencyRank 1 Technical Assistance (technology transfer, transfer of expertise, training and capacity building) 71 (71.00) II 2 Financial assistance based on flexible selection criteria that take into account the specific context of the recipient countries 89 (89.00) I 3 A better articulation between cultural and trade concerns in the digital age. 36 (36.00) V 4 Adapt existing funding mechanisms (such as the International Fund for Cultural Diversity) to prioritize cultural projects related to digital content 59 (59.00) III 5 Sharing knowledge online (platform/ database) and centralizing information on partnerships and cultural policies 49 (49.00) IV 6Strengthening the role of civil society and its participation at UNESCO 21 (21.00) VI

D. New technologies and the diversity of cultural goods and services

S.No.StatementsFrequencyRank 1 Lack of infrastructure and telecommunications networks 92 (92.00) I 2Lack of a digital strategy for culture 77 (77.00) II 3 Decision-makers' lack of a long-term vision for cultural policies in the digital era 32 (32.00) V 4 Lack of a legislative and regulatory framework relating to cultural goods and services in the digital era 56 (56.00) IV 5Poor economic conditions for investment in cultural goods and services in the digital era 67 (67.00) III

Impact of the following policies on the diversity of cultural expressions Frequency S.No.NegativeNeutralPositive 1 Policies to increase access to digital infrastructure and equipment 0 (0.00) 08 (08.00) 92 (92.00) 2 Policies to promote the production, digitization and dissemination of local cultural content online 0 (0.00) 08 (08.00) 92 (92.00) 3 Policies to encourage the development and consumption of innovative digital cultural services 0 (0.00) 08 (08.00) 92 (92.00) 4Policies that favor the training and capacity building of cultural actors in digital technologies 0 (0.00) 08 (08.00) 92 (92.00)

S.No.Digital PracticesFrequencyRank 1 Publication and online consultation of cultural and artistic content (cultural calendar, directory of cultural sites or associations, ) 87 (87.00) I 2Multimedia or digitized creation 69 (69.00) III 3Downloading or streaming music/books/movies/software 60 (60.00) IV 4Visits to virtual museums or libraries 22 (22.00) VIII 5Online games or networking 34 (34.00) VII 6Viewing videos / TV online 51 (51.00) V 7Listening to radio broadcasts online 43 (43.00) VI 8Exchanges through dating sites, forums, social media, cultural networking 15 (15.00) IX 9Production and online consultation of relevant and reliable statistics on cultural industries 77 (77.00) II

 Cultural goods and services of a culturally rich nation like India definitely needs digitalization in the digital era for their protection, promotion, production and consumption and at the same time political authorities of India should Endeavour to formulate and implement such cultural policies in the near future which will help in the integration of latest technologies like the internet for the better health of cultural goods and services.  The efforts should also be made to gain international co-operation for this very purpose. The results of the paper clearly reflect that it’s the time for the cultural goods and services to go ‘digital’.

THANK YOU