The Directorate of Higher Secondary Education (DHSE) is set to identify and train Plus One students interested in pursuing a career in photography and post-production during this academic year.
This is in keeping with the novel programme SITAR (Students Initiative for Training in Artistic Rejuvenation) being spearheaded by the directorate’s Career Guidance and Adolescent Counselling Cell to encourage and promote alternative career options other than engineering and medicine.
Since its launch in 2012-13, one subject has been chosen under SITAR for specialised training every year for government and aided school students having aptitude in that subject. Incidentally, 60% to 70% of students who have undergone such training are either pursuing higher studies or working in related fields.
Having zeroed in on photography and post-production as the subject for this year, the DHSE is set to run a mobile digital photography competition with the support of the photography division of the Kannur-based National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) to identify students with the right aptitude.
“We are expecting around 15,000 entries with every school permitted to submit up to 10 entries. Out of these, 150 entries from every district will be chosen, which will be further whittled down to 40 by a team from NIFT,” C.M. Azeem, State coordinator, Career Guidance and Adolescent Counselling Cell, told The Hindu.
Each district will be given a dedicated e-mail Id to which schools from respective districts must submit the chosen photographs in digital format by July 17. Schools are free to conduct a screening of their own to judge the 10 best pictures.
A workshop followed by a written test to evaluate the knowledge and aptitude in photography of students chosen at the district level will be held on August 4 and 18.
“Forty chosen students will then attend a State-level orientation programme to be conducted by experts from NIFT in Kannur. An exhibition of their photographs is also being planned at the venue,” said Mr. Azeem.
Meanwhile, the DHSE is also exploring the scope for holding a week-long national workshop for these students for which talks are under way with IIT, Hyderabad.
So far, students have been trained in drama, film, design, journalism and mass communication, fashion design and animation under SITAR. The idea is to give them exposure to numerous courses and job opportunities available in these fields while helping them garner insights through interactions with masters in the respective professions.