Delhi govt announces talent hunt initiative for residents

Auditions for candidates will be held in 35 zones covering all assembly constituencies, and the final competition will take place in August, with the promise of cash prizes.

New Delhi: The Delhi government will hold a talent hunt program this summer for Delhites in categories like dancing and singing, chief minister Rekha Gupta announced on Wednesday.

The participants will be able to upload their performance videos on a government portal from where juries will shortlist candidates.

Under the program titled “Haunslo ki Udaan” (flight of aspirations), the participants will be able to upload their performance videos on a government portal from where juries will shortlist candidates.

Auditions for candidates will be held in 35 zones covering all assembly constituencies, and the final competition will take place in August, with the promise of cash prizes.

Gupta said the initiative will create a “positive and creative atmosphere” in Delhi during the summer holiday season.

She said Delhi is full of talent, but “previous governments failed” to provide a platform. “Any resident of Delhi between 16 and 35 years of age can register on our portal and share their videos. The competitions will be held in seven categories, including singing, dancing, acting, pottery and sculpture making, instrumental music, composition and digital art,” she added.

The winners will receive a cash prize of ₹2.5 lakh in each of the seven categories,, followed by ₹2 lakh for second-place holders, ₹1.5 lakh for third place, and ₹1 lakh for fourth place.

A budget allocation of ₹10 crore has been set aside for the program, which will run for around 2.5 months, culminating in August. “Anyone, irrespective of background, can take part to showcase their talent, which will be promoted on a national scale,” she said.

Art & Culture minister Kapil Mishra said, “The initiative was one of the promises made in the last Delhi budget, and we are fulfilling it. We are hoping to reach out to 4-5 million people in Delhi.”

The online portal www.delhitalenthunt.com is operational for registration details, programme information and regular updates.

Gupta said 25% of the evaluation will be based on online public voting, while the remaining 75% will be based on assessment by an expert jury comprising experienced and reputed professionals from relevant fields.