Kala Utsav is an initiative of Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) to promote arts in education by nurturing and showcasing the artistic talent of school students at the secondary stage in the country.
The Kala Utsav 2016, an annual festival to celebrate the talent of school children all over the country, concluded on November 18, 2016 at the Siri Fort Auditorium in New Delhi.
The prizes were awarded by Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey, the Minister of State for Human Resource Development.
Students from Leh-Ladakh region of J&K participated for the first time. Their dance performance was a great entertainment and eye-catching.
This Kala Utsav attracted school students from every corner of the country with all States and Union Territories except Lakshdweep making their presence felt. The number of participants too was about three hundred more than last year.
Another highlight was the song performance of Kajari Art-form (which also won second prize) by the Kumharar Girls High School Patna Team which was comprised of all divyang blind girls with only one male who was an instrument player.
In the Visual Arts form Andaman & Nicobar Islands (Body Ornaments of the Tribes) presented by Govt. Model Senior Secondary School, Aberdeen Bazaar, South Andaman won the first prize, Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (Traditional Bronze Craft) presented by Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Canacona, South Goa received the second and Team Haryana (Traditional Visual Arts) from GHS, Durjanpur, District Bhawani won the third prize.
In Dance segment, the first place went to West Bengal (Ranpaa Dance presented by Somruk Shital Chandra Institution, P.O Somruk, P.S Uluberia, Howrah), second to Himachal Pradesh (Laaldi Dance presented by Govt. Senior Secondary School (Girls) Sultanpur, District Kullu) and third to Andaman & Nicobar Islands for Life & Culture of Jarawa Tribes presented by Govt. Model Senior Secondary School, Aberdeen Bazaar, South Andaman).
In Music the first honour went to Goa (Shree Brahmadurga High School, Paz-Shiroda), second to Bihar (Antrijyoti Girls High School, Kumharar, Patna) and third to Jammu & Kashmir Bilawar).
In Theatre, Karnataka (Government High School, Kyalakonda, Tq: Shiggaon, District Haveri) went away with the first prize, Kerala (Vivekodayam Boys HSS Thrissur) with the second and Tamil Nadu (Govt. Higher Secondary School, Elachipalayam Post, Tiruchengode Taluk, Namakkal) with the third.
The first prize comprised of a golden trophy shield with a cash prize of Rs. 1.25 lakhs, second prize a silver trophy with Rs. 75,000 and third prize a bronze trophy with Rs. 50,000.