Minister for Culture K. C. Joseph said on Wednesday that Kalamandalam would be developed as a national institute of standing.
Addressing a press conference here, the Minister said that the deemed university status of Kalamandalam had been extended and the institution had been given special status by the University Grants Commission (UGC) after a UGC team visited the institution.
This would enable the Kalamandalam to get financial assistance from the UGC. Plans had been prepared for building a performing arts museum at a cost of Rs. 7 crore. Besides, Rs. 5 crore would be spent for development of basic infrastructure.
Mr. Joseph said that the stipend of the students belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes had been enhanced from Rs. 500 to Rs. 1500. Cultural exchange programmes had been planned between Santhiniketan in West Bengal and other countries.
Kalamandalam Vice Chancellor P. N. Suresh said that a memorandum of understanding had already been signed for culture exchange with Czech Republic. Details about the institution had been communicated to various embassies for inclusion in the cultural exchange programmes.
The Vice Chancellor said that steps had been taken for timely revision of the syllabi in Kalamandalam. Syllabi of all the seven departments under it would be revised.
He said that the UGC had agreed to payment of UGC scales of pay to existing 33 teachers of Kalamandalam considering their experience though they did not have the qualifications according to UGC norms. Special rules were being drawn up for future appointments.
