(Scholarship Info) Chacha Nehru Scholarship for Artistic and Innovative Excellence

Chacha Nehru Scholarship for Artistic and Innovative Excellence

Primacy to Art Education:

The importance of arts in the education system has been repeatedly discussed and recommended over the decades. Rather than encouraging the pursuit of arts the education system in the country tends to relegate arts to be ‘useful hobbies’ and ‘leisure activities’. The National Curriculum Framework (NCF) – 2005 reiterates the importance of Art Education at all stages of school education so that ‘we retain our unique cultural identity in all its diversity’. NCF – 2005 recommends four major areas of Art Education at the Secondary and Senior Secondary stages. These include Music, Dance, Visual Arts and Theatre. NCF – 2005 also stipulates that students must be introduced to the rich and varied art traditions in the country with due emphasis on learning rather than teaching. The approach should be participatory, interactive and experiential, rather than instructive. Such an approach should foster self-expression and self-awareness among children. It should create aesthetic awareness and develop imagination, enhance confidence in movement and speech, promote tolerance and sensitivity.

National Bal Bhawan: Bal Shree programme:

The National Bal Bhawan has played a vital role in the promotion of Arts throughout the length and breadth of the country. Currently there are 73 state and district Bal Bhawans in the country. The National Bal Bhawan has instituted a system of honouring talented children in different age groups in the year 1995 through the Bal Shree scheme.

The Bal Shree programme recognizes talent in the following areas:
1. Creative Performance
2. Creative Arts
3. Creative Scientific Innovations
4. Creative Writing

The National Bal Bhawan makes a selection of creative children through activities conducted at three levels, viz:
1. Local level by organizing 2-day camps in which 8 children (2 in each stream) are identified at the local level 2.
2. Zonal Levels by organizing 3 days camps in which local experts, specialists from six zones, namely North, East, West, Central, South-I and South -II participate for selection of children
3. National Levels by organizing 4 day camps from the six zones in the country. A panel of experts and resource persons representing the four streams are identified to observe and assess the creativity of children. On an average 150 children participate in the National level camp and approximately 50 children are chosen for the Bal Shree honour.