THE DEPARTMENT OF RELIGION AND CULTURE
The Department of Religion and Culture (hereafter called as DRC) is a ministry office established under executive organ of Tibetan government in exile whose function is to overlook religious and cultural affairs in Tibetan exile community. It has responsibility of supervising works aimed at reviving, preserving, and promotion of Tibetan religious and cultural heritages that is being led to the verge of extinction in its own origin place Tibet.
It began its operation in exile community as Council for Religious Affairs office on April 27, 1959, established by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and his government in Mussorrie. On 30th May 1960 the Council for Religious Affairs shifted its location to Dharamsala and on September 12, 1960 it became one of the five main departments when His Holiness the Dalai Lama formally established the current Central Tibetan Administration (CTA).
It is now one of the seven major departments of CTA and a minister heads this office. There have been 14 ministers who have held portfolio for varying tenure. The incumbent and the fifteenth one is Venerable Tsering Phuntsok who took office on 5th October 2006 after Tibetan parliament in exile approved his appointment.
The DRC supervises 223 monasteries and nunneries in India, Nepal, and Bhutan which are under the aegis of this office and looks after the welfare of approximately 30,000 sanghas or clergies living in these institutions.
In addition to above said monastic institutions, several non-monastic centers like Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts, Tibet House, the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, the Central Institute for Higher Tibetan Studies, the Norbulingkha Institute, and Manjushree center of Tibetan culture which are working on preservation of Tibetan religious and cultural heritages fall under the purview of the Department of Religion and Culture.
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