Fostering students’ artistic acumen is vital for their holistic development: Alok Kumar
JAMMU: Amid blistering performances, the three-day UT-level Kala Utsav 2022 concluded today at Teacher Bhawan, Gandhi Nagar, with Principal Secretary Education, Alok Kumar, chairing the valedictory ceremony.
The function was attended by students and teachers of different educational institutes from across J&K.
Addressing a glittering award ceremony of the event, organised by the Directorate of Samagra Shiksha J&K, Alok Kumar emphasized the need for promoting art in education at all levels. “We need to recognise the importance of aesthetics and artistic experiences for our students which play a major role in creating awareness on rich cultural heritage and vibrant diversity of our UT and the country” he maintained.
While underlining the need of organising such programmes on regular basis at the school level, Principal Secretary said that the aim of Education is not only to preserve and transmit our diverse cultural integrities to the coming generation but its transformation is far more significant. He maintained that the Union Ministry of Education has been implementing various schemes for providing better platforms to children for showcasing their talent in different fields. He asked for raising awareness among the masses, especially the parents to avail maximum benefit of these initiatives so that no child remains un-educated and unattended.
Principal Secretary expressed gratitude to all the participating students for displaying their scintillating performances. He reiterated that Kala Utsav aims to promote art by nurturing and showcasing the artistic talent of the students, which is envisaged in the NEP, and now we are moving from co-curricular activities to the curriculum in form or art as per NEP. “Such programmes provide a platform for our budding youth to judge their aptitude in comparison with the students of other parts of the country,” he added.
While highlighting the significance of art in the present era, Alok Kumar stressed on launching a comprehensive talent hunt so that the aptitude of the nation doesn’t go unexplored. He also praised the efforts of teachers for their tireless work and the Samagra Shiksha team for making Kala Utsav-2022 a grand success.
Project Director, Samagra Shiksha, Deep Raj, in his address, said that efforts are being made to encourage students to participate in different co-curricular activities in addition to their regular education so that they become a source of inspiration for others.
He said that more than 26350 students from various schools from across the UT participated in this year’s Kala-Utsav competitions, of which, 40 students were selected at the UT level and among them, 20 have been selected for the National level today. “The access of each and every student to quality education is our priority and Samagra Shiksha is committed to mobilising all its resources to attain this cherished goal under the dynamic leadership of the Principal Secretary,” he added.
Director School Education, Dr. Ravi Shanker, extended gratitude to participating students, teachers, CEOs, cultural wings at the district and divisional levels for their relentless efforts in making this year’s event a grand success.
Romalo Group of Ramnagar presented mesmerizing performance, which also involved the audience in the Dogra Culture.
Later, awards were distributed among the participants and winning students in art forms including Vocal Music-Classical, Instrumental Music- Classical, Vocal Music- Traditional Folk, Instrumental Music- Traditional Folk, Dance-Classical, Dance-Folk, Visual Art-2D, Visual Art-3D besides the Indigenous Toy making and games.
The awards and citations were also presented to the Jury members, and senior officers.
Among others present during the event included Manisha Sareen, Secretary JK BOSE, J K Padha, Coordinator, Ajeet Sharma, Vijay Sharma, Prem Nath, Ashwani Sharma, CEO Jammu Rathore, Virender Manhas, DEPO, Ashok Dy. CEO and other officials of the School Education Department.
