Children's Drawing and Painting Competition (Kala Academy Goa)

What is the Children's Drawing and Painting Competition?

Children's Drawing and Painting Competition is organised by the Art, Culture and Museums Department, Government of Goa, through Kala Academy Goa. The competition aims to encourage creativity and artistic expression among Goan children and to develop a healthy competitive spirit at a young age.

The competition is held annually at the taluka level on Children's Day, 14 November, or on another suitable date at venues decided by Kala Academy. Winners from the taluka level qualify for the state level competition.

Children are grouped into four categories by the standard they are studying in:

• Category A: Standards 1 to 4 (primary).
• Category B: Standards 5 to 7 (middle school).
• Category C: Standards 8 to 10 (high school).
• Category D: Standards 11 and 12 (higher secondary).

What prizes does the competition carry?

Taluka level

State level

Each category at each level therefore carries eight prizes, first, second, third and five consolation prizes — which means a single taluka round in Category D distributes Rs 2,000 plus Rs 1,500 plus Rs 1,000 plus five prizes of Rs 500, that is Rs 7,000 in that category alone.

What does Kala Academy provide at the venue?

• Drawing paper, A4 size cartridge paper, is provided at the venue.
• Refreshments are arranged by Kala Academy.
• All other drawing materials are to be brought by participants, including pencils, colours, brushes, erasers, sharpeners and a drawing board or backing.

Because only the paper is supplied, participants should arrive with a complete set of their own materials. The A4 cartridge paper also fixes the working size, so children practising on larger sheets should rehearse on A4 before the day.

Who is eligible for the Children's Drawing and Painting Competition?

A child can take part if:

• The child is studying up to the 12th standard.
• The child is a resident of Goa.
• The child enters in the correct category for the standard he or she is studying in.

A child is not eligible if:

• The child has completed Standard 12 and is no longer in school. The competition is limited to school children, so a college student cannot apply.
• The child is not a resident of Goa.
• The birth certificate attested by the Headmaster or Principal is not produced, since that is what fixes the category.

Entry to the state level is not open. Only winners from the taluka level qualify for the state round, so every participant must first enter through the taluka competition in his or her own area.

What documents are required?

The attestation requirement is specific: the birth certificate photocopy must be attested by the concerned Headmaster or Principal, not by any other authority. Schools usually handle this in bulk when a group of children from the same school enters together.

How to apply for the Children's Drawing and Painting Competition

1. Request the prescribed format of the application form, free of charge, from Kala Academy, Block A, 2nd Floor, Campal Trade Centre, Campal, Panaji, Goa.
2. Fill in all the mandatory fields of the application form, paste the passport-sized photograph and sign across it if required.
3. Attach a photocopy of the birth certificate attested by the concerned Headmaster or Principal, and self-attest any other copies required.
4. Submit the duly filled and signed application form along with the documents, within the prescribed period, to the Member Secretary, Kala Academy, Goa.
5. Attend the taluka level competition at the venue and on the date notified by Kala Academy, carrying your own drawing materials.
6. If you win at taluka level, attend the state level competition to which taluka winners qualify.

Key dates

The date anchoring the competition is Children's Day, 14 November, on which the taluka level round is normally held. The scheme note allows Kala Academy to choose another suitable date and to decide the venues, so the operative date and venue for a given year come from Kala Academy's own announcement. Schools and parents should treat mid-November as the working assumption and confirm with Kala Academy each year.

Why entries are rejected

• Birth certificate not attested by the Headmaster or Principal, leaving the child's category unverified.
• Wrong category entered for the standard the child is studying in.
• Form submitted after the prescribed period.
• Participant is no longer a school student.
• Attempt to enter the state level directly without winning at taluka level.

Grievance redressal

The authority for redressal of grievances is the Member Secretary or the Chairman, Kala Academy, Goa, at Block A, 2nd Floor, Campal Trade Centre, Campal, Panaji, Goa. The same office issues the application form and receives completed entries.

The competition is free to enter. Kala Academy supplies both the form and the drawing paper at no cost, and organises refreshments for participants on the day.

How to check your application status

The Children's Drawing and Painting Competition is run offline through Kala Academy, so there is no online portal or SMS system to track an entry. Applicants and parents should instead follow up directly:

• Confirm receipt with the school first. Where a school collects and submits forms for a batch of students, the class teacher or school office is usually the fastest point to confirm the form and birth certificate copy were forwarded to Kala Academy within the prescribed period.
• Contact Kala Academy directly at Block A, 2nd Floor, Campal Trade Centre, Campal, Panaji, Goa, and ask the office of the Member Secretary whether a specific child's entry has been received and accepted for the taluka round. Carry the child's name, school, standard, and category (A, B, C or D) when asking, since entries are not tracked by any reference number.
• Watch for the taluka venue and date announcement. Because the exact venue and date each year are decided by Kala Academy (Children's Day, 14 November, is the anchor date but not fixed), the practical way most applicants confirm their entry went through is to watch for the notice naming their taluka's venue and check that their child's name appears among the listed participants for that round.
• After the taluka round, ask about results at the same venue or through the school, since Kala Academy announces taluka winners who then qualify for the state-level round; there is no separate written status report issued to individual entrants.
• For the state-level round, only taluka winners are contacted or listed by Kala Academy directly, so a child who did not place at taluka level need not follow up separately for state-level status.

Since the competition involves no fee, no online application, and no benefit disbursed after submission, "status" here means confirming the entry was received and later confirming results, not tracking payment or approval through a portal.