"Kala Utsav connects cultural diversity of India...": Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan

New Delhi [India], January 9 : Union Minister for Education and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Dharmendra Pradhan, attended the inaugural ceremony of the Kala Utsav 2023 on Tuesday and said that National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 is preparing the next generation to achieve bigger goals in the spirit of nation and society.
While speaking at the event, Pradhan mentioned how the Utsav connects the cultural diversity of India by nurturing the creative and artistic talent of school students, as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"The entire country has faith in the talent and potential of India's children," he highlighted.
Dharmendra Pradhan also mentioned how the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) will mainstream play-based learning, sports, arts, crafts and all other creative endeavours to further hone the talents and skills of the children, their all-round development and develop them as leaders of the 21st century.
"NEP 2020 is preparing the next generation to achieve bigger goals in the spirit of nation and society first. I urge the Ministry of Education to move forward to take the Kala Utsav to all the schools of the country and to make arrangements to bring the participation of children in the credit framework. A developed India can be built only by giving a broad platform to every child of India according to his interest and talent," he said.
In a lively interaction with the audience, especially the youth participants of the Kala Utsav, Pradhan reminded them of their responsibilities in the Amrit Kaal, when in the coming 25 years they will put their contributions to developing Viksit Bharat.
He emphasized the unique features of NEP 2020 in which the components of experiential learning have been added in the form of sports, art, culture, hackathon, etc. for facilitating the all-round development of the students.
"Such features help in the development of critical thinking in students," he asserted.
He also added how deep human emotions like compassion, empathy, etc. do not come from textbooks, but from life experiences.
While speaking at the event Minister of State for Education Annapurna Devi mentioned how Prime Minister Narendra Modi has realized the limitless potential of the children of the country while conceptualizing his vision for Viksit Bharat 2047.
She expressed her gratitude to the Prime Minister for introducing art-integrated learning in NEP2020 that will bring out the true potential of the children.
"The inclusion of traditional art forms, toys and games in Kala Utsav will help them thrive and reach the next generation. Art also helps in inculcating discipline among the children if it is introduced during primary education," she added.
Sanjay Kumar, Secretary of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education, in his speech, said for a comprehensive and all-round development of the students, domains such as humanities, science, sports, and arts must be integrated
He also added how the National Curriculum Framework addresses all these aspects within the realm of Foundational Learning and Numerology.
"Kala Utsav' brims with enthusiasm and joy, where children get a chance to engage with the rich cultural diversity of India, showcasing the pristine vision of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat," he said.
The Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education, and National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) are organising the Kala Utsav 2023 from 9-12 January 2024 at National Bal Bhavan and the Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti, New Delhi.