‘Kala Utsav’ — connecting the students with culture, heritage

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, December 15

To make students connect with culture and to bring out their hidden talent, ‘Kala Utsav’ for students from Classes IX to XII of any government-aided, private, local body and Central Government schools is organised every year. The Government of India, under the Rashtriya Madyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), approves the event.

Students studying in these classes display their talent at the school, district, zone, state and national-level. The idea of organising Kala Utsav is that the students will develop their interest in art and they will get to know about the culture of other nations too.

The students studying from class IX to class XII in government, government-aided, private, local bodies, and Central Government participate in the event. For Kala Utsav, the students are asked to perform traditional/ classical/ folk/ contemporary. There are four categories in the event, solo music (vocal), solo music (instrumental), solo dance and solo painting.

The Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), Government of India, launched the national level Kala Utsav in the year 2015, to promote arts in education, by nurturing and showcasing the artistic talent of school students, in the country. The ministry recognises the importance of aesthetics and artistic experiences for secondary-level students, which plays a major role in creating awareness about India’s rich cultural heritage and its vibrant diversity in the context of education of arts (music, theatre, dance, visual arts and crafts).

Arts integration in education helps to encourage creativity develop problem solving ability and improve the ability to handle mental imagery for better expression. According to the ministry, Kala Utsav has been structured as an art festival to include performances and display of exhibits. The design of Kala Utsav helps students explore, understand and showcase their artistic talent by practicing different art forms. This event gives students the opportunity to understand and celebrate cultural diversity at the school, district, state and national levels. It creates awareness about India’s cultural heritage and its vibrant diversity among students and other stakeholders.