As many as eight students, including four boys and four girls, were awarded the Kalaiyarasan and Kalaiyarasi awards by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin. For the same, the Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai was packed with hundreds of students from government schools across Tamil Nadu, as awards were distributed to the winners of the arts and culture festival conducted by the school education department, as stated in a report by The New Indian Express.
Additionally, the winners performed on the stage, entertaining students. Adding to the extravaganza, a small exhibition displaying the best artworks was also featured at the venue. Moreover, about 28.53 lakh students of Classes VI to XII from 13,210 government schools had participated in over 206 competitions held at three levels — block, district and state.
Speaking at the event, CM Stalin said, "Integrating arts and culture in school education will help improve the thinking capacity of the students. It will help improve their decision-making skills and will also help them gain confidence. In order to train the students in arts, the school education department has prepared a schedule and is implementing it."
Further, "The top 20 students who participated in these competitions will be taken abroad," Stalin added. Additionally, citing that arts will help people during trying times, he told students, "Even if you get a job and earn well, you should continue to contribute towards the arts."
A Class VII Kalaiarasan awardee VA Sanjit Eswar of Thoothukudi Corporation School said, "I won it for English poetry recital. The title is a big recognition and will encourage me to read more sonnets by Shakesphere." However, some students were disappointed that they didn't get to go on the stage to get the awards, as there were over 700 students who emerged victorious in various competitions.
In this context, a student shared, "I was happy that I won the competition at the state level. But, it was disappointing that I couldn't get on the stage and receive the prize from the chief minister." School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, Youth Welfare Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin and several top officials were present, as stated in a report by The New Indian Express.
