Srinagar/June,14: Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti Wednesday asked the Culture Department to roll out a yearlong calendar of activities by organizing competitions and performances with regular periodicity. She also directed devising formats to inculcate love about performing arts among the teenagers.
Chairing a review meeting of the Department of Culture here Wednesday, the Chief Minister asked for converging the activities of various subordinate wings of the Department to draw a yearlong cultural activities format in all the regions and areas of the State. She also directed introduction of various art forms like painting, music, pottery, dance etc. among the kids at young age so that the artists of future are properly groomed.
Minister of State for Culture, Tourism & Education, Priya Sethi was also present in the meeting.
The Chief Minister directed the Department to access the various Centrally Sponsored Schemes in this regard for proper funding of such activities. She also directed preservation of artifacts and monuments and their digitization under a comprehensive programme so that these are saved for posterity.
Mehbooba Mufti directed early identification of land for setting up state of the art school of Sufiyana music in Kashmir in order to keep alive the tradition and genre of Sufiyana and folk music for times to come.
The meeting was also informed that the Academy of Art, Culture & Languages conducted around 500 literary and cultural events during the last year and its General Council meeting was held first time in 35 years. The Academy is planning to set up Kashmir Cultural Centre and Jammu Writers Club as new initiatives, the meeting was informed.
The meeting was also informed that the Ramadhan special programmes launched by the Cultural Academy are getting an overwhelming response from the public. The programmes include Qir’at and Na’at competitions, Qawwali recitations and other programmes to celebrate the spirit of Ramadhan.
The Chief Minister, it may be recalled, had directed organising such programmes during the holy month to enliven the spirit of Ramadhan.
The meeting was also informed that the night market set up at Kashmir Haat by the Culture Department is also drawing people in good numbers. The Chief Minister directed widening the spectrum of activities and attractions there for the amusement of people, particularly young kids.
The meeting was informed that the Department of Culture has declared the Mughal Gardens in Kashmir as State protected monuments and process would be initiated to get these enlisted in list of monuments by the UNESCO.
On the performance of Libraries Department, the Chief Minister was informed that e-learning programmes for aspirants of JEE, NEET and other such competitive examinations were launched by the Department in which around 700 animated lectures and 125 chapters were given to students by renowned academicians through online mode. The Department is planning to hold online career counseling for students- first time in the country, the meeting was told.
Chief Secretary, B B Vyas, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Rohit Kansal; Commissioner-Secretary, Finance, Navin Choudhary; Secretary to Chief Minister, M H Malik; Secretary, Culture, Dilshad Khan; Director, Libraries, Mukhtar-ul-Aziz; Secretary, Academy of Art, Culture & Languages, Dr Aziz Hajni and other senior officers were present in the meeting.
