For a working professional, there can be no greater blessing than to be able to blend your hobby or passion into your vocation. In this way, one can achieve ultimate job satisfaction and every moment spent working can be an experience of sheer joy.
This is exactly what happened with Ms. Nirupama Kotru, an IRS officer of 1992 batch. She loves to write and is passionate about poetry, literature, theatre, music, and films. She has always been a movie buff and this passion became a part of her job, when in 2012, she was posted as the Director of Films in the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India.
In an exclusive conversation with Indian Masterminds, Ms. Kotru spoke about her stint as Director of Films in I&B and in the Ministry of Culture.
PROMOTING HER PASSION
Watching and then talking about movies of different genres, languages and industries have always been a part of Ms. Kotru’s life. Hence, her excitement knew no bounds when she was appointed as the Director of Films under the I&B ministry. Talking about it, she said, “I was really excited to take up the job. Today, when I look back, I feel very satisfied about the work I did there. Those are some of my best learning experiences and I still cherish those three years.”
During her stint there, she ensured India’s participation in prestigious film festivals like Cannes, Berlin and Toronto, and also promoted Indian cinema at home by organizing three editions each of the International Film Festival of India in Goa and the National Film Awards. She also played an important role in the setting up of the India Pavilion in those particular film festivals.
She also looked after the administration of media units of the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting such as NFDC, as well as policy matters like censorship. She helped set up a single window clearance system for film shooting and laid the groundwork for setting up of the National Institute of Animation, Gaming and Visual Effects, among others.
GOT UNESCO RECOGNITION FOR DURGA PUJA
The ten days festival of Durga Puja has just ended. The Puja celebration in West Bengal and the ambience during those days are surreal. However, this heritage of our country was not recognised till Ms. Kotru pushed for it. As Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, she managed to get UNESCO recognition for many intangible heritages of our country and Durga Puja of West Bengal is one. The nomination was filed in 2019 and the confirmation came in 2021. Not only this, she also ensured recognition for Mumbai as a creative city of films and Srinagar as a creative city for art and craft under UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN). UNCCN is a project of UNESCO launched in 2004. The idea behind this is to promote cooperation among cities which recognized creativity as a major factor in their urban development.
On the recognition of Mumbai, Ms. Kotru said, “I was quite surprised to know that we hadn’t filled the nomination till then. It should have been done a decade back. Hundreds of films are made every year in that city and it’s not hard to get the recognition. Still, I had to push the local administration and the state government a lot to go for it.”
As Joint Secretary, Ministry of Culture, she helped redefine the roles of prestigious National Academies such as Sahitya Akademi, National School of Drama and Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts, where she introduced several initiatives such as Sangam App under National Audio Visual Archives, Vedic Heritage Portal, National Manuscripts Mission, etc. She also helped modernize iconic museums like the Victoria Memorial and the Indian Museum in Kolkata and the National Museum in Delhi, and was responsible for setting up several new galleries, such as Ajanta (AR-VR) gallery at the National Museum. In 2019, she facilitated India’s participation, after a hiatus of 8 years, at the prestigious Venice Biennale.
CURRENT GOALS
Currently, as Joint Secretary and Financial Advisor in the Coal Ministry with additional charge of JS&FA Ministries of Mines, Ms. Kotru’s agenda is focused on sustainability in the coal and mining industry, while diversifying in clean energy which can reduce carbon footprints. She also holds additional charge as JS&FA, Minority Affairs, which aims to educate and skill minorities (among other initiatives) for ensuring a better life for them.
