What is Art Integration? And why is CBSE promoting it in schools?

<red> July 14th, 2025 <red>

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The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has released its updated circular - Acad-43/2025, dated July 10, 2025 - detailing the Art-Integrated Project requirements for Classes I to X for the 2025-26 academic session.

While Art-Integrated learning has been in place for a few years now, the 2025 update focuses on execution, accountability, and structure - right from teacher collaboration to portal uploads and internal marks recording. Schools are now expected to integrate Indian art more meaningfully with academic concepts, while following clear norms outlined by CBSE.

Here’s everything educators, parents, and students need to know for the current academic session.

New State Pairings Under Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat

As part of the Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat (EBSB) programme, CBSE has issued revised state and UT pairings. Each school must ensure that at least one project from Classes I to X includes an art form from their newly paired region.

Some notable pairings for 2025 - 26 include:

• Jammu & Kashmir paired with Gujarat
• Delhi with Lakshadweep and Andaman & Nicobar Islands
• Uttar Pradesh with Arunachal Pradesh
• West Bengal with Tamil Nadu

This pairing mechanism ensures that students not only learn art, but also explore diverse cultures, languages, and geographical traits through artistic expression.

Class-Wise Project Mandates

For Classes I–VIII:

• Each student must complete at least one Art-Integrated Project per academic year.
• Projects should be simple, playful, and age-appropriate, especially in the foundational (Classes I - II) and preparatory stages (Classes III–V).
• Projects may be thematic and multidisciplinary, linking subjects like EVS, Social Science, or Language with local art.

For Classes IX–X:

• Every student is required to complete one Art-Integrated Project per subject.
• For example, a student taking five subjects must complete five subject-specific projects during the year.
• These projects are now compulsory for internal assessment and fall under the Subject Enrichment component.
• Students must work in groups of 4–5 to foster collaboration, exchange of ideas, and shared execution.

Approved Art Forms and Formats

Schools and students have the flexibility to choose from any Indian visual, performing, or applied art forms. These may include:

• Visual Arts: Madhubani, Warli, Gond, Tanjore painting, clay modeling, miniature paintings, collage work
• Performing Arts: Indian classical or folk dance, puppet shows, dramatization, storytelling, musical presentations
• Applied Arts & Design: Poster-making, brochure design, craft-based installations, calligraphy, mehndi
• Multimedia Presentations: Video-based performances, short documentaries, photo exhibitions

Students can creatively explore science experiments, historical timelines, mathematical principles, and even geography and environmental studies through these art forms.

Teacher Collaboration Is Now Mandatory

The circular clearly directs schools to conduct joint planning sessions at the start of the academic session between subject teachers and art teachers.

Planning responsibilities include:

• Selecting relevant curriculum topics that lend themselves to artistic integration
• Mapping them with appropriate Indian art forms - either local or from the EBSB paired state/UT
• Ensuring students are supported with adequate instructions and material suggestions
• Designing rubrics or criteria for assessment before the projects begin

Projects Should Be Research-Based and Go Beyond the Textbook

CBSE recommends that project topics:

• Should not repeat textbook content in a decorative form
• Should be research-driven and involve student inquiry
• Should promote real-life, interdisciplinary, and cultural connections

For instance, a student may explore how tribal art reflects environmental values in a Social Science project or use geometry and symmetry in folk embroidery patterns as part of a Math project.

Use of Local, Eco-Friendly, and Affordable Materials

Projects must reflect sustainability and inclusivity. As per the guidelines:

• No external expert help or market-purchased finished items should be used
• Students must use locally available, low-cost, and recyclable materials
• Parents should not be expected to incur any expenses for project material or additional support

This ensures equal participation across schools regardless of location or access.

Integration into Internal Assessment for Class X

The Art-Integrated Projects in Class X are now an official part of internal assessment and carry weight under the Subject Enrichment category.

• Teachers must use pre-decided rubrics, discussed with students before the project begins
• The marks must be uploaded to CBSE during the internal assessment data submission window
• These marks will be included in the final Class X result report

This shift reinforces the value of creativity and research in the formal learning process.

Mandatory Upload on KALASETU Portal

To formalize the documentation process, CBSE has made it compulsory for schools to upload all project details on the KALASETU portal before issuing admit cards for Class X Board exams.

The following must be uploaded:

• Class- and subject-wise project topics
• Names of participating students and group details
• Art form used and link to subject concept
• Assessment rubric and marks given
• Confirmation report (to be downloaded and stored for at least one year)

The portal can be accessed via cbse.gov.in using the school’s existing login credentials.

What Parents Should Know - Art Integrated Projects are designed to be inclusive, accessible, and enjoyable. As a parent, you can expect:

• Your child to work on hands-on creative projects with academic depth
• No added financial pressure only simple, local materials are required
• Team-based execution with teacher guidance
• Exposure to Indian art, heritage, and cross-cultural learning
• Projects that enhance both academic understanding and life skills

CBSE’s revised 2025-26 guidelines on Art-Integrated Projects mark a shift from symbolic implementation to clear, structured integration into the academic framework. So, basically the board is signalling that art is no longer co-curricular, it is integral to the curriculum. That’s all for 2025-26 updates!

<red> June 28th, 2023 <red>

Relevance of Art Integration - An amalgamation of academics and arts.

Art Integration is an effort on the side of CBSE to bring back the idea of Arts in our lives. In middle school, many schools do promote art through dance, painting, or enactment/ theatre. However, as we grow up, the focus of our education gradually shifts from visual or so to say from the idea of learning to livelihood. 

In Circular No. Acad 33/2020 dated 14th May 2020, CBSE has introduced “mandatory Art Integrated project work for classes 1- 10 as part of Subject-Enrichment activities under Internal Assessment”

These are some of the ideas teachers can take reference from. And, to know more about Art Integration you can click on the button below.

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Why is Art Integration Important?

• Education and arts, together- are the epitome of critical thinking and creativity for the understanding of concepts in almost all subjects. 
• It makes the learning process more significant and 
• It makes the teaching process more joyful and also, leads to the enhancement of certain life skills like- communication, creativity, and higher confidence.
• Broadens the horizon of the human mind, allowing them to see the multi-disciplinary links between subjects/ topics. 

Guidelines for the art-integrated project by CBSE (for classes 9 and 10)

• All students in classes IX and X must undertake at least one Art-Integrated Project in every subject. These projects will involve combining art with the respective subject matter. In classes IX and X, the evaluation of these art-integrated projects will be included as part of the subject enrichment activity for internal assessment in all subjects.
• Students will have the opportunity to integrate any form of Indian art, whether visual or performing, into their projects. This approach aims to help students better comprehend projects that are culturally relevant to them. 

Teachers have the responsibility to support the learning of the chosen Indian art form and ensure that students can creatively incorporate the art form(s) into their projects.

• For at least one project undertaken by students in classes I-X, it is compulsory to incorporate an art form from the paired State/UT, as outlined in the- Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat Programme. 

This initiative aims to provide CBSE School students with an opportunity to become familiar with the culture, traditions, and geography of additional States and UTs as envisioned in the Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat Programme (EBSB).

Subject-wise real-life examples for Art Integration 

Common salt, discoloration of leaves, medicines, etc, most of the things around us are a product of Chemistry. The core of Art integration comes from this realisation that everything we learn has real-life implications. Our Educart Question Banks have an entire feature dedicated to explaining to students the real-life implications of all the concepts in each chapter. And these examples are available for all the subjects with simplified NCERT theory.

Maths - 

Students can be asked to click pictures of monuments, or buildings that represent Mathematics. The example provided here is in reference to the chapter- Triangle. Students can easily connect the pictures they have taken with different concepts and theorems. 

Physics- 

This Real-life example has been taken from the chapter- Electricity. Students can be asked to create a project on the electricity supply at their home. They can get creative with it, it can be in the form of a report or a full-length essay with pictures, either way, they should be able to relate the theory applicable at all possible places. 

It can also be given as a part of an English project. 

Chemistry- 

This real-life example is from the chapter- Chemical Reactions. Students can perform a theatre centering around the life of a banana and make it humorous, or sad, or present it in any way they want to.