Approves affiliation for Calligraphy Course, new Academy logo with 5 official languages
Srinagar, May 26: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday chaired a high-level meeting of the Central Committee of Jammu Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages (JKAACL), at Lok Bhavan.
The meeting was attended by Atal Dulloo, Chief Secretary; Shailendra Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary, Finance Department; Dr Mandeep K Bhandari, Principal Secretary to Lieutenant Governor; Brij Mohan Sharma, Principal Secretary Culture; Ram Niwas Sharma, Commissioner Secretary, Higher Education Department; Harvinder Kour, Secretary JKAACL; Dr Satish Vimal; Prof Bashar Bashir, and Principals of Institute of Music and Fine Arts, University of Jammu and University of Kashmir.
The Central Committee granted in-principle approval to several key proposals, including affiliation for continuing Calligraphy Course, Annual Plan of Expenditure for the FY 2026-27 and the designing of a new Academy logo, which will feature all five official languages of Jammu Kashmir.
The Lieutenant Governor directed for accelerating the digitization process of all Academy libraries and implementing a well-crafted plan for capacity building of the Academy artists and staff. He instructed the Academy to expedite the process of accreditation of artists and filling the vacant posts.
The LG emphasised that a comprehensive strategy involving the Education, Sports, and Culture departments must be formulated to promote vibrant cultural activities in schools and colleges to boost youth engagement. He also applauded the Culture Academy’s performance in the Vande Mataram initiative.
Brij Mohan Sharma, Principal Secretary, Culture Department, gave a detailed presentation highlighting JKAACL’s recent milestones.
The committee was informed that the Academy successfully organized over 470 events across Jammu, Kashmir, and other parts of the country, engaging 14,117 artists and writers. Major commemorative events included 150 Years of Vande Mataram celebrations, Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat, Har Ghar Tiranga Yatra, Nukkad Natak under Nasha Mukt J&K Campaign, Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas, Birth Anniversary of Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee, and Constitution Day.
It was further informed that The Jammu & Kashmir Tableau was a major attraction during the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas celebrations at Ekta Nagar, Gujarat, on 31st October 2025. Furthermore, the J&K Tableau clinched the Second Prize at the Republic Day Parade 2026 in New Delhi, a historic national achievement for the Union Territory after 24 years.
The Committee also reviewed the Action Taken Report from the previous meeting which was held in 2021.
On the occasion, a Shina-Urdu dictionary and Annual Report of the Academy were also released.
