Thiruvananthapuram: In a major directive aimed at ensuring transparency and child welfare, the Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has ruled that individual marks awarded by judges to participants and groups at the State School Arts Festival must be scrolled live on electronic displays at the venues.

The full bench of the Commission—comprising Chairperson K.V. Manoj Kumar alongside members B. Mohankumar, K.K. Shaju, and Dr F. Wilson—issued a series of comprehensive mandates covering everything from festival finances to the panel of judges.

Under the new directives, schools are strictly prohibited from collecting funds for the arts festival from students in Classes 1 to 8 or their parents.

To streamline event management, the names and mobile numbers of the program convenor and committee members must be prominently displayed at venues during competitions. The Commission also directed that accessible classrooms or suitable facilities be arranged specifically for children with special needs. Furthermore, the festival manual is to be revised with inputs from qualified experts.

Strict criteria for judges

The Commission issued clear directives regarding the selection and accountability of judges across all tiers:

  • Panel selection: Authorities may consider individuals from the Cultural Affairs Department's panel, subject to newly established selection criteria.

  • Jurisdictional independence: Judges for sub-district events must be drawn from outside the respective sub-district, whilst district-level competitions must feature judges from other districts.

  • Approval authority: Only panels approved by the Revenue District Deputy Director of Education (for sub-district events) and the Director of General Education (for revenue district events) may be deployed.

  • On-screen transparency: Details including the name, educational qualifications, and accomplishments of each judge must be displayed on screen during the performance.

  • Continuous monitoring: Organisers must ensure that judges remain seated and continuously evaluate performances until the conclusion of each event.

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Appeals process and venue safety

Addressing long-standing grievances regarding festival appeals, the Commission mandated that orders from the Appeals Committee be issued within three days of the event. During the review of an appeal, appellants must be shown video recordings of the performances, comparing their entry directly against the first-prize winner to highlight specific evaluation points. Appellate decisions must also allow sufficient time for aggrieved parties to seek legal recourse in court, if necessary.

To safeguard participants and avoid rushed scheduling, the bench directed that a minimum interval of 10 days be maintained between sub-district and district-level competitions, with a 15-day gap between district and state-level events. Additionally, all performance venues must secure fitness certificates from the Public Works Department (PWD) prior to hosting events.