The Union Minister of Human Resource Development, Prakash Javadekar inaugurated ‘Kala Utsav (Festival of Arts)’ at colourful function at the National Bal Bhavan in New Delhi today.In his inaugural address, Prakash Javadekar said that teachers have the onerous responsibility of identifying and nurturing the talents in the students and encouraging them. Present day students are bogged down so much in studies right from eighth standard onwards that they have no time to spare for manifesting and nurturing their talents. He added that in order to provide enough time to students to develop their talents, the syllabus is proposed to be reduced by half the present syllabus.Shri Prakash Javadekar said that 26 crores students in schools and another 4 crores in colleges are our assets and they are our future. He commended the dance and song programme at the inaugural function which displays the unity in diversity of our nation..Speaking on the occasion, Professor Hrushikesh Senapaty, the Director of National Council of Educational Research and Training said that this is the fourth edition of Kala Utsav. he said that the Kala Utsav National Competitionis a unique initiative toshow case the artistic talents of school students at the national level.
Over 370 children of all states (except Karnataka) and Union Territories are participating in the four-day national level competitions in vocal music, instrumental music, dance and painting. Teams from Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan and Navodya Vidyalaya Samiti are also participating.Among the students practicing in the lawns of Bal Bhavan was 14-years- old Anjali Verma from Banda who was delighted to be part of competition in vocal music.Ajay Kumar, 16, a student of Haryana who excels in playing the ‘dholak’ is participating in Kala Utsav for third time.Preparing for ‘Safe child’ dance was Rajneesh Shah, 16, a student of Government Higher Secondary School, Dadra, under the tutelage of his teacher Nirmal Rathore. Another student, Jaskaran Singh, 16,from Chandigarh was all excited preparing to participate in vocal music. He had bagged the second position in the music competition organized by MHI Channel in 2015.Kala Utsav National Competition was launched in 2015 with a view to promote arts in education by nurturing and show casing the artistic talents of school students, children with special needs too will have the opportunity to display their talents.