As many as 15 students were awarded certificates at the first convocation ceremony for the Post Graduate Diploma in Tribal Arts and Crafts (PGDTAC) at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) Regional Centre Ranchi, on Wednesday by the Governor Draupadi Murmu, who was present as the chief guest for the occasion.
The guests of honour included Dr Sachidanand Joshi, Member Secretary IGNCA; Ramesh Kumar Pandey, Vice Chancellor Ranchi University; Padma Shri recepient Dr Ashok Bhagat, Secretary Vikas Bharti and Kamini Kumar Pro- Vice Chancellor Ranchi University.
The Governor expressed immense pleasure on being present at the first convocation ceremony of PGDTAC course and congratulated the 15 successful candidates for their dedication and hard work. The Governor also appraised the importance of study and preservation of tribal art and culture as the indigenous culture reflects vibrancy and Tribal India.
IGNCA RCR is running a one-year post graduate diploma course in collaboration with Ranchi University, where the students are provided theoretical and practical knowledge (Sastra and Prayoga) in the discipline. The course has been designed to inculcate indigenous knowledge of socio-religious, ecological, traditional customs, various art forms and their cosmological and cosmogonic manifestations through teaching and training programmes so that the students can carve their own niche by self-reliance in the field of Tribal Arts.
Overcoming the challenges of the pandemic, the first batch of PGDTAC course was completed. As a part of the programme, an exhibition is also being curated where tribal paintings namely Sohrai, Kohbar, Payatkar, Godna and Gond paintings by the students of PGDTAC are being displayed, to promulgate the indigenous painting tradition of Jharkhand.
The students included Ajamber Singh Munda, Amrit Kandulna, Anita Kumari, Ashish Kerketta, Birsingh Mahto, Bolo Kumari Oraon, Chandra Deo Singh and Debraj Sengupta among others.
Joshi enlightened the gathering regarding the aims and objectives of IGNCA and how the Centre has been striving to preserve, conserve and disseminate the Indian Art and Culture.
Prof. H.S. Pandey, Former Head of the Department was also felicitated by the Governor on the occasion for donating more than 250 books from his personal collection to IGNCA, Regional Centre Ranchi.