Thiruvananthapuram: The revised manual of Kerala state school youth festival contains provisions to ensure transparency in its conduct. All payments over Rs 5,000 for the festival should be made through bank accounts, according to the manual. It has rules to curb the appointment of any person as judge in any event for more than two years consecutively. Money paid or received and contracts for sums over Rs 5000 made in the name of general convenor of the youth festival should be made through the account of the contractor or in the name of the person who made or received the payment. Store purchase rule will be applicable for all purchases above Rs 15,000.
The money for the conduct of the festival above the plan fund of the government should be met from the funds of the general education department, higher secondary education department and vocational higher secondary department in the ratio of 2:2:1. The funds should be deposited in the name of the director of public instruction. The utilisation of the fund should be done by the DPI in consultation with higher secondary and vocational higher secondary directors. Those who are judges at the sub-district level should not be made judges in the district level in the same event in the same year. Those who have been judges at the district level should not judge the same event at the state level in the same year, the manual said.
The manual also has provisions for action against students and teachers or any other persons who misbehave or create trouble at the youth festival venue. The contestant can even be disqualified. A maximum of four persons, including women officials, should be the members of the committee. The issues taking place on the stage during the competition will also come under the purview of the committee.
