Culture minister says heritage must shape economic policy
In short
Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said on Monday in Delhi that heritage should be part of economic policy. He made the remarks at the Kautilya Economic Conclave during a session on culture as capital.
He said development should protect heritage, and heritage should help development. The report does not say what policy changes, if any, will follow.
What the reporting says
Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said on Monday in Delhi that cultural capital should have a rightful place in economic policy. Speaking at the Kautilya Economic Conclave under the theme 'Culture as Capital: From Heritage to Horizons,' he said development should protect heritage and heritage should enrich development. The immediate policy implication is a call to fold culture into planning; specific measures were not stated in the available reporting.
Why it matters
Shekhawat used the Kautilya Economic Conclave in Delhi to argue that heritage should be treated as part of economic policy, not as a separate concern. The reported audience was financial policymakers and experts. The source says he warned against development destroying heritage and called for a model where both support each other. No specific policy proposal, budget, or timeline was stated.