Srinagar: Manoj Sinha on Tuesday chaired a high-level meeting of the Central Committee of the Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art Culture and Languages at Lok Bhavan.
The meeting was attended by Atal Dulloo, Shailendra Kumar, Mandeep K Bhandari, Brij Mohan Sharma, Ram Niwas Sharma, Harvinder Kour, Satish Vimal, Bashar Bashir and principals of the Institute of Music and Fine Arts of the Universities of Jammu and Kashmir.
During the meeting, the Central Committee granted in-principle approval to several proposals including continuation of the calligraphy course, Annual Plan of Expenditure for the financial year 2026–27 and designing of a new Academy logo incorporating all five official languages of Jammu and Kashmir.
The Lieutenant Governor directed the Academy to accelerate digitisation of all Academy libraries and prepare a structured capacity-building plan for artists and staff.
He also instructed officials to expedite accreditation of artists and filling of vacant posts.
Manoj Sinha emphasised that the Education, Sports and Culture departments should jointly formulate a comprehensive strategy to promote vibrant cultural activities in schools and colleges for greater youth engagement.
The Lieutenant Governor also appreciated the Academy’s role in the Vande Mataram initiative.
During the meeting, Principal Secretary Culture Brij Mohan Sharma gave a detailed presentation on recent activities and achievements of the Academy.
The committee was informed that JKAACL had organised more than 470 events across Jammu and Kashmir and other parts of the country involving over 14,000 artists and writers.
Major programmes organised by the Academy included celebrations related to 150 years of Vande Mataram, Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat, Har Ghar Tiranga, Nukkad Natak under the Nasha Mukt J&K campaign, Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas, birth anniversary programmes of Syama Prasad Mookerjee and Constitution Day events.
The committee was also informed that the Jammu and Kashmir tableau was a major attraction during Rashtriya Ekta Diwas celebrations at Ekta Nagar on October 31, 2025.
Officials further stated that the J&K tableau secured second prize at the Republic Day Parade 2026, marking a major national achievement for the Union Territory after 24 years.
The committee also reviewed the Action Taken Report of the previous meeting held in 2021.
On the occasion, a Shina-Urdu dictionary and the Academy’s Annual Report were also released.
