CROWNING MOMENT: The Palakkad district team with the Golden Cup of the State Schools Kalotsavam that concluded in Kochi on Monday. Leader of the Opposition V.S. Achutanandan and Minister for Education E.T. Mohammed Basheer are seen along with the vic torious students. - Photo: Mahesh Harilal

Palakkad lifts Golden Cup

Staff Reporter

Ernakulam secures second spot; Thrissur in third place

KOCHI: Palakkad district emerged as the overall champions of the 46th State Schools Kalotsavam that concluded here on Monday evening, winning the 117.5-sovereign Gold Cup for a second consecutive year.

The cup was received by the Palakkad district team, led by the Deputy Director of Education, from Education Minister E.T. Mohammed Basheer and Leader of the Opposition V.S. Achuthanandan at the main venue of the Kalotsavam at the Marine Drive.

Palakkad district won the championship by winning 600 points in the competitions held for 74 items in the five-day-long festival that began on Thursday. Ernakulam district won the second place with 596 points. Thrissur was placed in the third position with 595 points.

Meanwhile, Thrissur district, complaining that it was not allowed to appeal, decided not to accept the trophy for overall championship in the Sanskrit Festival. Thrissur district won the first prize in the Sanskrit Festival.

Mr. Achuthanandan, who inaugurated the event, said that from next year, the shortcomings of the revised manual should be corrected, taking lessons from this year's the experience. He called upon the Government to extend enough support to the budding talents who come up during the youth festival.

Mr. Basheer, who spoke before distributing the prizes, said that the suggestion made by Mr. Achuthanandan would be looked into with the utmost earnestness and that the manuals would be revised.

Industries and Social Welfare Minister V. K. Ebrahim Kunju presided over the function. The Gold Cup was brought to the stage by the convener and members of the Trophy Committee and Baby Usha Kiran, District Education Officer of Ernakulam. It was received on the stage by the Director of Public Instruction (DPI) A. Ajith Kumar and Additional DPI J. Beena.

The Festival souvenir, titled `Ninavu,' was released by K. Chandran Pillai, Rajya Sabha Member, and T. H. Musthafah, MLA, received the first copy.

Secretary of Public Instruction Lida Jacob; district panchayat vice-president K. N. Sugathan; Johnny Nelloor, MLA; Kalamassery municipal chairperson V.M. Arifa; Tripunithura municipal chairperson Renjni Suresh; district panchayat standing committee chairperson Bini Davis; councillor Vinni Abraham' Wakaf board member Abdulla Haji Ahammed Sait; film director Vinayan; Athira R. Nath, last year's Kalathilakam; reception committee convener N. A. Salim and Deputy Director of Education V. Sanu also spoke.

Durga HSS, Kanhangad, was awarded the prize for the school winning the highest points (164). NSS HSS, Kalpetta, Wayanad, secured the second place with 116 points, followed by Silver Hills HSS, Kozhikode, and Kanikkamatha CEM GHSS, Palakkad in the third place with 115 points each.

Meanwhile, hundreds of appeals made life hell for the organisers of the festival. More than 100 appeals were recorded during the five-day festival. Despite making rapid changes in the festival manual, the number of appeals failed to come down.

(The Hindu-24/01/06, Tuesday)