Lalit Kala Akademi chief’s powers curbed by Culture Ministry

When contacted by The Indian Express, officials in the ministry said the order was sent “in view of certain decisions taken by the chairman.” Nagdas was not available for comment.

The order issued by the ministry on January 8, 2024, addressed to Nagdas, cites his failure to respond to an earlier “complaint” and also alleges non-compliance with the ministry’s “administrative directions”.

“As per right of the central government mentioned in rule 19(1) of General Rules and Regulations of LKA, you are hereby directed not to take any administrative actions including appointment, recruitment, transfer, disciplinary actions and financial decisions without the concurrence of Ministry of Culture,” says the order, signed by Suman Bara, under secretary, Ministry of Culture.

According to the LKA constitution, its chairman is supposed to officiate on all these matters.

The order, reviewed by The Indian Express, says it has been issued with the approval of the joint secretary (Akademies) in the ministry.

“I am directed to refer to the ministry’s letter dated 14/11/2023, vide which a complaint was forwarded and directed to submit the reply and also comply with the constitution of LKA, however no reply has been received yet. It is also seen that other administrative directions of the ministry have also not been complied with till date,” it says.

Nagdas succeeded Mumbai-based sculptor Uttam Pacharne, who was appointed as LKA chairman in 2018 for three years, and later given an extension.

According to Nagdas’s profile on the LKA website, he earlier served as a professor, dean, and head of the department of graphics in the Visual Arts Faculty, Indira Kala Sangeet Vishwavidyalaya in Chhattisgarh’s Khairagarh. He “obtained a national diploma in painting from College of Fine Arts, Trivandrum, Kerala in 1982 and a post diploma in graphic arts from Viswabharati University, Santiniketan, in 1984,” it says, adding that he is a recipient of several prestigious awards.

Late last year, under Nagdas’s chairmanship, LKA presented two exhibitions — ‘Imag(in)ing the Immediate – Curating from a National Collection’ and ‘The Afghan Journal’ — besides also announcing a mega art camp in Ayodhya in the run-up to the Ram Temple inauguration to showcase “the philosophy and human side of Lord Ram”. However, according to sources, LKA didn’t get to organise the Ayodhya camp due to “funding issues”.

In 2017, the LKA was mired in controversy following repeated complaints about its functioning, and a report of missing artworks of noted artist M F Hussain, after which its top brass was sacked and an enquiry was ordered.