Union Minister of State for Education and Skill Development Dr Subhas Sarkar and Minister of State for External Affairs and Education, Dr. Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, attended the valedictory ceremony of the Kala Utsav 2023. Additional Secretary, Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education, Shri Anandrao Vishnu Patil; Director, NCERT, Prof. Dinesh Prasad Saklani and other dignitaries and were also present at the function. National Coordinator of the Kala Utsav Prof. Jyotsna Tiwari presented a brief report on the Utsav. Prize-winning participants were awarded during the event.
While speaking at the event Dr Subhas Sarkar paid his reverence to Swami Vivekananda on his Jayanti and quoted his words, “Art is — representing the beautiful. There must be Art in everything.” He also said the platform of Kala Utsav not only celebrates creativity but also aligns with the vision set forth by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, which also resonates in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. NEP 2020 emphasizes providing education to all that develops moral, cultural, practical, traditional logical, cognitive, and basic abilities in an individual, Dr. Sarkar added.
Rajkumar Ranjan Singh in his speech expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for envisioning the Kala Utsav with an aim to preserve and promote the heritage of art and culture of the country in education. Kala Utsav has been an icon of the power of art in shaping our lives transcending boundaries and uniting us in the celebration of diversity, he said.
Shri Patil in his speech mentioned how art forms can be used as a means to manage stress. He also talked about the rich Indian cultural traditions and requested the participants to take their skills forward in upholding the position of the country.
The Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education, and National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) organised the Kala Utsav 2023 from 9-12 January 2024 at National Bal Bhavan and the Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti, New Delhi.
Kala Utsav 2023 witnessed performances in 10 art forms: 1. Vocal Music – Classical; 2. Vocal Music – Traditional Folk; 3. Instrumental Music – Percussive; 4. Instrumental Music – Melodic; 5. Dance – Classical; 6. Dance – Folk; 7. Visual Arts (2-dimensional); 8. Visual Arts (3-dimensional); 9. Indigenous Toys and Games; and 10. Drama (Solo acting). This year 336 girls and 334 boys from 34 states and Union Territories, Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan, and Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti showcased their art forms in all these genres.
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