Ambala, October 23 (R. Singh):- The three-day District-Level Bal Utsav-2026, organised by the District Council for Child Welfare, Ambala, concluded on Friday at Kumari Rukmani Devi Hall. Meena Kamboj, Honorary General Secretary of the Haryana State Council for Child Welfare, attended the event as the chief guest, while Pooja Kumari, CEO of the Shivalik Development Agency, was present as the special guest.
Earlier, District Child Welfare Officer Vishwas Malik welcomed the chief guest. Following this, the chief guest and other dignitaries inaugurated the closing ceremony by lighting the ceremonial lamp.
Addressing the gathering, Meena Kamboj said that Bal Bhavan is a powerful platform for nurturing children’s hidden talents and helping them fulfil their dreams. The Haryana State Council for Child Welfare organises such events to provide every child in the state with equal opportunities to showcase their talent and progress through various competitions. She encouraged children to work hard and remain dedicated to their studies, while also embracing their culture, values and discipline. The chief guest inspected the activities held at Mini Bal Bhavan and the Bharat Scouts and Guides Institute and appreciated the children’s artwork, sketches and handicrafts.
Among the organisers, Rakesh Makkar said that three new features had been introduced this year. First, a record 3,500 children from the district participated. Second, students from government schools also took part this year. Third, the judges did not accept any hospitality gifts this time, whereas such gifts had traditionally been given to them in previous years.
The judges for the one-act play, fun games and theatre (dramatics) competitions were distinguished personalities, including film and television actor-directors and theatre artists Kamlesh Sharma, Pramod Pubbi and Anil Kaushal. The Haryanvi group singing and group dance competitions were judged by Haryanvi film actress Rekha Sareen, Arvind Suri and Anil Mahant. Other members of the judging panels included Amanpreet Kaur Bedi from Panjab University, Diksha Makkar, Khushi Manchanda, Priyanka Aggarwal, Dr. Swarit Sharma, Dr. Pooja, international painter H. S. Purewal and Yamini Jain.
On the final day, competitions were held in group dance, solo dance, clay modelling, mehndi, classical dance, patriotic group singing, solo singing, Hindi and English calligraphy, and on-the-spot sketching. Schoolchildren added to the festivities with captivating cultural performances.
At the conclusion of the event, District Child Welfare Officer Vishwas Malik thanked the district administration, schools, teachers, organisations, social workers and other stakeholders for their support in successfully organising the festival. Those present on the occasion included District Child Welfare Officer Vishwas Malik, Geetansh Malhotra, founder of the Insaniyat Foundation, Ashok Rana, life member Rakesh Makkar, Vijay Vadera, Pramod Pubbi, Inderjit Singh, Roopjit Singh and others.
