Kathua: A proud moment for Kathua district was witnessed when a Cultural Club namely “Nav Ras Cultural Club”, sponsored by the Centre for Cultural Resources and Training under the Ministry of Culture, was formally inaugurated at Government Middle School C Kathua.
The programme was inaugurated by the Chief Guest, Sh.Kewal Krishan , Chief Education Officer Kathua while Smt Anjana Manyal ,DEPO Kathua graced the occasion as the Guest of Honour. Smt Rishi Tangri tr ZNO Prerna also attended the programme as a guest.All staff members of the school and a large number of students were present during the event, making the programme vibrant and memorable.
The establishment of this cultural club has been made possible through the dedicated efforts of Smt. Monika Khosla, a teacher of the school. She participated in a 15-day training programme in Puppetry organized by Centre for Cultural Resources and Training at Guwahati from 5th October to 19th October 2023. After completing the training, she continuously worked on puppetry activities in the school by organizing puppet shows and creative learning programmes for students. She also demonstrated, as a resource person in training programmes at DIET Basohli, how puppetry can effectively be used as a Teaching-Learning Material (TLM) in classrooms to make learning more engaging and interactive. Impressed by her dedication, innovation and continuous efforts, CCRT decided to sponsor the Cultural Club at the school.
Following the inauguration, a Teaching-Learning Material (TLM) Exhibition was organized in the school where innovative teaching aids, especially puppets prepared from waste materials, were displayed. These materials highlighted how creative and locally developed resources can make the teaching-learning process more interesting and effective. Chief Guest Sh. Kewal Krishan and Guest of Honour Smt. Anjana Manyal visited the exhibition and highly appreciated the efforts, describing the initiative as an inspiring step towards strengthening innovative educational practices.
During the programme, students of the school also presented colourful cultural performances and other cultural activities, which added enthusiasm and joy to the event. The performances reflected the creativity, confidence and cultural spirit of the students and were widely appreciated by the dignitaries and the audience present.
While addressing the gathering, Chief Guest Sh. Kewal Krishan congratulated the staff and students on the opening of the Cultural Club and motivated the students to integrate co-curricular activities with their studies. Guest of Honour Smt. Anjana Manyal appreciated the efforts of the school and particularly praised the initiative taken by Mrs. Monika Khosla. In her speech, she stated that integrating cultural activities such as puppetry with classroom teaching is a wonderful way to make education more joyful and meaningful for children. She also encouraged teachers to continue exploring innovative teaching practices for the holistic development of students.
The Headmaster of the school, Sh. Anil Gupta, played a key role in encouraging and supporting such creative initiatives. Under his leadership and guidance, the school continues to promote cultural and innovative educational activities that provide students with opportunities to explore their talents and develop confidence. He also expressed gratitude to the dignitaries, staff members and students for their presence and contribution in making the programme successful.
On this occasion, a 20-member student committee for the Cultural Club was also constituted including positions such as President, Secretary, Treasurer and Coordinator and one badge ceremony was organised .The Chief Patron of the club will be Headmaster Sh. Anil Gupta, Mrs. Monika Khosla (CCRT-trained) will serve as the In-charge, and Mrs. Shartika Sharma will work as the Co-Incharge.
The dignitaries appreciated the initiative and emphasized that such programmes significantly contribute to the cultural, creative and academic development of students. This initiative is expected to bring a new dimension to the educational environment of Kathua district.
