THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The 56th State School Arts Festival will begin in the capital on Tuesday with around 12,000 students competing in various art forms over next seven nights and days.
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy will inaugurate the festival at 5 pm at the main venue, Putharikanadam Maidan. Education Minster P K Abdu Rabb will preside over the function and award-winning filmmaker Jayaraj will be the chief guest.
A music and dance show, in which 56 students and and equal number of teachers will participate, will be the main highlight of the inaugural function.
As a prelude to the inaugural function, a cultural procession will be taken out in the city at 2 pm. DGP T P Senkumar will flag off the procession.
Artistically decorated floats proclaiming the rich cultural heritage of the state will be the highlight of the procession, which will also feature traditional art forms.
Over 6,000 students from 50 schools will participate in the cultural procession.
Separate accommodation facility for boys and girls participating in the festival, has been arranged in 12 schools in the capital.
The accommodation details will be provided to participants as soon as they register for the festival. An online registration facility has also been arranged.
Elaborate arrangements have also been made for ensuring law and order at the 19 venues where the festival is slated to be held. A Police Control Room will be set up outside the main venue and outposts will be put up near the other venues.
The service of medical teams will be made available at all venues, Education Minister P K Abdu Rabb told reporters on Monday.
A makeshift dining hall has been set up at Thycaud Police Ground which can accommodate up to 5,000 students at a given time.
A team of cooks, led by noted culinary expert Mohanan Namboothiri, will be in charge of preparing food for the participants.
An Appeal Committee has been constituted in the wake of widespread appeals against the judges’ verdict. The Committee will take a final call on such appeals, Abdu Rabb said.
Participants who secure A, B and C grades in the festival will be given certificates and grace marks for SSLC and HSE/ VHSE examinations. While A grade will fetch grace marks of 30, B and C grade winners will get 24 and 18 marks respectively.
Cash prizes of Rs 2,000, Rs 1,600 and Rs 1,200 will be given to the winners of first, second and third prizes respectively.
High Security
T’Puram: Elaborate security arrangements have been put in place by the city police for the seven-day 56th School Art Festival scheduled to begin on Tuesday. As many as 800 police personnel will be deployed at the venues of the festival to ensure safety of the participants and the audience. As many as 10 assistant commissioners will lead the team along with 18 circle-inspectors and 10 sub-inspectors. Also, shadow police and women police officers will be stationed at each venue.
HC Stays Order on Kalolsavam
Kochi: The High Court has stayed the order issued by Lok Ayukta permitting a school from Malappuram to contest in state School Kalolsavam. The HC passed the order on a plea filed by the government challenging Lok Ayukta order permitting a team from Malappuram in Keralanatanam competition. The government contended that Lok Ayukta issued order violating jurisdiction.