Students And Artists Paint India’s Bright Future Through Colours And Imagination
Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar Inaugurates One-Day Art Workshop At Gateway Of India
Mumbai, September 30, 2025 – A unique one-day art workshop on the theme ‘Viksit Bharat’ (Developed India) was organised at the iconic Gateway of India, bringing together school students, college youth, and professional artists in a vibrant celebration of creativity and nation-building.
Speaking at the event, Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar emphasized that art is the most powerful expression of the constitutional right to freedom of thought, expression, and culture. He added, “When students and artists give shape to their imagination with colours and strokes, they are not just creating paintings — they are sketching the outlines of India’s brighter future.”
Art Workshop Under ‘Seva Parv’
The workshop was organised as part of the ‘Seva Parv’ initiative launched to mark Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 75th birthday celebrations across India. The event was jointly conducted by the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), and Sir J. J. School of Art.
The program drew participation from 750 students of BMC schools, along with students of Sir J. J. School of Art, budding sculptors, and artists, who depicted their vision of a developed India through paintings and sketches.
Dignitaries Inspire Young Talent
Several dignitaries graced the occasion, including:
- Mangal Prabhat Lodha, Minister for Skills, Employment, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and Guardian Minister for Mumbai Suburban District
- Bhushan Gagrani, BMC Commissioner and Administrator
- Nidhi Choudhari, Director, NGMA
- Dr. Pravin Munde, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 1)
- Chanda Jadhav, Deputy Commissioner (Zone 1), BMC
- Dr. Prachi Jambhekar, Deputy Commissioner (Education), BMC
- Meenal Joglekar, Director, P. L. Deshpande Kala Academy
- Kishor Ingle, Director, State Directorate of Arts
- Rajiv Mishra, Principal, Sir J. J. College of Architecture
- Tejas Garge, Director, Archaeology & Museums Department
Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha described the initiative as “a step towards envisioning a developed India by 2047, while also celebrating the honourable Prime Minister’s 75th birthday.”
Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani added that art was no longer confined to galleries: “Until now, people had to go to art. Today, art has come to the people. For students, imagination has no boundaries — this platform allows them to put their vision of India on paper.”
A Platform For India’s Dream
Nidhi Choudhari, delivering the welcome address, noted that this was the first time Seva Parv was hosted outside the NGMA premises, marking a milestone in taking art directly to the people. She said the workshop offered students an opportunity to depict “the India of their dreams.”
The event concluded with dignitaries interacting with young artists, appreciating their creative expressions, and encouraging them to pursue art as both a medium of cultural freedom and a tool of nation-building.