Kerala set to launch Onam celebrations
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Kerala is gearing up for week-long Onam celebrations, with festivities set to begin on Wednesday evening.
Tourism Minister P A Muhamed Riyas and General Education Minister V Sivankutty told reporters that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will formally open the state celebrations at 6 pm at Kanakakunnu Palace here.
People's representatives, senior officials and leaders will join the event, alongside film stars Jayam Ravi and Basil Joseph, who will be guests of honour, they said.
The celebrations will run across 33 venues in the capital, with thousands of artists taking part in cultural programmes.
One of the highlights will be a drone light show on 5, 6 and 7 September over the Chandrasekharan Nair and University stadiums, featuring a thousand drones telling stories linked to Kerala.
The festivities will end on September 9 with a grand procession, flagged off by Governor Rajendra Arlekar on Manaveeyam Veedhi.
Riyas said the governor was personally invited and presented with the traditional Onakkodi, or festive attire.
Officials said floats and performances are being prepared to make the parade as colourful as possible.
Onam, Kerala's biggest festival, is being marked not only across the state, but also by Kerala people living around the world.
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Karnataka School Edu Dept prohibits children from being made to dance to obscene songs
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka School Education Department has issued a circular strictly prohibiting children from being made to dance to obscene songs in educational and cultural programmes.
It stated that such dances would negatively impact students' mental health and moral values. It will create indiscipline and harm the sanctity of education.
"All the Deputy Directors (Administration) of the state's School Education Department have been asked to take strict measures to prevent children or students from dancing to obscene songs in all government, aided and unaided schools in the state," the office of the commissioner of the School Education Department said in a recent circular.
"If it is found that children are being made to dance to obscene songs, appropriate action will be taken against the headmaster or management of such school," it added.
The department also listed certain measures in this regard, which include: strictly prohibiting children from being made to dance to obscene songs during educational and cultural programmes; selecting songs that are inspiring, positive, instilling national pride in children and reflecting the greatness, dignity, values, culture, and morality of the state.
Stating that the school headmaster and management are responsible for selecting songs and dances for cultural programmes, it said, they should also ensure that students wear decent clothes in dance or cultural programmes.
