Samagra Shiksha, Mizoram, Government of Mizoram, India

KALA UTSAV

Kala Utsav is an initiative of the Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education (MoE), Government of India, launched in 2015, to promote arts in education by nurturing and showcasing the artistic talent of school students at the secondary stage in the country. In the context of education of Arts (Music, Theatre, Dance, Visual Arts and Crafts), the initiative is guided by the recommendations of the National Focus Group Position Paper (No. 1.7) on Arts, Music, Dance and Theatre for National Curriculum Framework 2005 (NCF- 2005), and by the report of the Central Advisory Board on Education (CABE) Sub-committee on Integration of Culture Education in the School Curriculum. Samagra Shiksha scheme recognizes the importance of aesthetics and artistic experiences for secondary level students, which play a major role in creating awareness of India’s rich cultural heritage and its vibrant diversity.

Objectives:

Kala Utsav will enhance the life-skills of the participants and prepare them as carriers of culture. Children are the seeds of the future and therefore our schools will become the laboratory of tomorrow’s India. Kala Utsav will help in identifying and understanding diverse tangible and intangible cultural expressions.
Kala Utsav is not a onetime activity but the beginning of a complete process of identifying exploring, understanding, practicing, evolving and showcasing the artistic experience. Once part of the process, the participants will not just perform pieces from their living traditions only, rather they will live that cultural experience while documenting 'online art project' as part of their Kala Utsav entry.
The participation in the e-projects for Kala Utsav would involve exploration of multiple resources for researching and documenting. This in turn would promote team work and collaboration rather than relying on individual means or resources.
Sharing the stage collectively by boys, girls, students from disadvantaged groups and students with special needs will be a precursor in breaking many existing stereotypes.
Students with special needs will find an added opportunity to express their hidden talents through this initiative. This will further provide them an opportunity to share the limelight with their abled counterparts and the hidden talents of these students will surface from grassroots to the national level. Their participation would initiate a multiplier effect and will serve as a source of inspiration for others to follow later.

A tradition of using arts in the process of learning: The narrative tradition shows us the creative expansion from the individual to the community, which contributes towards the overall development of the society. Further it is requested by MHRD to conduct competitions in four Art forms viz. Music, Dance, Theatre, and Visual Arts (Drawing, Painting, Sculpture, Crafts) at School, District level and State level

Kala Utsav has regularly been organised every year since 2015, as a celebration of art forms in the school system and was organised at District Level, State Level and National Level. Winner of every artform from State Level Kala Utsav was selected to participate in the National Level Kala Utsav. In this competition, Lalruatpuii and C. Vanlalnunzira won 3rd Prize in Solo Music (Vocal) in 2018; Thanchungnunga, Ramlaitui RMSA Secondary School, Lunglei District, Mizoram won 2nd Prize in Indigenous Toys & Games (Male) and Lalruatfeli, Kids Care School, Aizawl, Mizoram won 1st Prize in Visual Arts- 3 Dimensional (Female) in the National Level Kala Utsav 2020-21 and 2021-22 respectively. This event gives students the opportunity to understand and celebrate cultural diversity at the school, district, state and national level.

SAMRIDDHI: Samriddhi is a national level competition for the teachers as an extension program of the National Level Kala Utsav, to showcase their best art integrated pedagogical practices incorporating the curricular areas of Secondary level (IX to XII). Guided by the recommendations of the National Education Policy (NEP– 2020) and the National Curriculum Framework (NCF– 2023), Samriddhi aims to acknowledge and encourage the contribution of teachers towards integrating art driven learning experiences to curricular learning.

Introduced in the 10th edition of Kala Utsav (2024-25), Samriddhi is an annual national-level competition that highlights the creativity and commitment of teachers working in secondary classes (IX–XII). It encourages teachers across India to design and implement engaging lessons that integrate visual arts, music, dance, theatre, and crafts with core subjects such as mathematics, science, languages, and social sciences. By doing so, Samriddhi not only celebrates teaching excellence but also contributes to the larger goal of transforming classrooms into spaces of exploration and joyful learning.

The Competition

Samriddhi is conducted at multiple levels—district, state/UT, and national. A team of two teachers represents each State/UT/KVS/NVS/EMRS, with one being a subject teacher and the other optionally from visual or performing arts disciplines. Their presentations are evaluated by an eminent jury of educationists on parameters such as: