The Department of Religion and Culture (The Council for Religious and Cultural Affairs of His Holiness the Dalai Lama) is a ministerial office established under the executive organ of Central Tibetan Administration whose function is to oversee 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 Tibet.

It began its operation in exile community as Council for Religious Affairs office on April 27, 1959, headed by a Director in Mussoorie. On 30th May 1960, the Council for Religious Affairs shifted its office to Dharamsala and on September 12, 1960 it became one of the five main departments when His Holiness the Dalai Lama formally established the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA).

Under the affiliation of this department, there are 245 monasteries and 31 nunneries in India, Nepal and Bhutan and also six cultural institutions across India.