Associated News Bureau

LG Chairs High-Level JKAACL Meeting, Pushes for Cultural Revival and Digital Transformation

Srinagar, May 26: Manoj Sinha on Tuesday chaired a high-level meeting of the Central Committee of the Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages at Lok Bhavan, reviewing the functioning of the Academy and outlining measures to strengthen cultural promotion, artist welfare, and institutional development across the Union Territory. The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, Additional Chief Secretary Finance Shailendra Kumar, Principal Secretary to Lieutenant Governor Dr. Mandeep K Bhandari, Principal Secretary Culture Brij Mohan Sharma, Commissioner Secretary Higher Education Ram Niwas Sharma, Secretary JKAACL Harvinder Kour, along with noted academicians and cultural experts. During the meeting, the Central Committee granted in-principle approval to several key proposals, including continuation of the Calligraphy Course, the Annual Plan of Expenditure for the financial year 2026–27, and the design of a new Academy logo incorporating all five official languages of Jammu and Kashmir. The Lieutenant Governor directed officials to accelerate the digitisation of Academy libraries and implement a comprehensive capacity-building programme for artists and staff. He also instructed the Academy to expedite accreditation of artists and fill vacant posts at the earliest. Emphasising greater youth participation in cultural activities, the Lieutenant Governor called for a coordinated strategy involving the Education, Sports and Culture departments to promote vibrant cultural programmes in schools and colleges across the Union Territory. He also commended the Academy for its contribution to the Vande Mataram initiative. Presenting a detailed report on the Academy’s activities, Principal Secretary Culture Brij Mohan Sharma informed the Committee that JKAACL had organised more than 470 events across Jammu and Kashmir and other parts of the country, engaging over 14,000 artists and writers. The events included major national and cultural programmes such as 150 Years of Vande Mataram, Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat, Har Ghar Tiranga Yatra, Nukkad Natak under the Nasha Mukt J&K Campaign, Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas, the birth anniversary of Syama Prasad Mookerjee, and Constitution Day celebrations. The Committee was also informed that the Jammu and Kashmir tableau emerged as a major attraction during the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas celebrations in Gujarat on October 31, 2025, while the Union Territory secured the second prize at the Republic Day Parade 2026 tableau competition in New Delhi — a significant national achievement after 24 years. The meeting also reviewed the Action Taken Report of the previous Central Committee meeting held in 2021. On the occasion, a Shina-Urdu dictionary and the Academy’s Annual Report were also released.