Chennai: Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science (HITS), Padur, hosted the Association of Indian Universities’ (AIU) 39th Inter-University South Zone Youth Festival (UNIFEST) – Kalai Koodam 2025, bringing together student talent from across South India.
The five-day festival saw participation from over 1,100 student artistes representing 27 universities from Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Puducherry and Lakshadweep. Competitions were conducted across music, dance, theatre, literary arts and fine arts. Performances ranged from classical and folk music, western vocal and instrumental events, one-act plays, skits and mime, to debates, elocution, quiz, painting, rangoli, clay modelling and collage.
The festival opened with a cultural procession featuring traditional attire and regional art forms. Dance events such as Folk & Tribal Dance and Classical Indian Dance emerged as major crowd-pullers, while theatre and literary competitions drew strong engagement from participating universities. Fine arts competitions saw wide participation, with students working under time-bound conditions across multiple creative formats.
Dr. Anand Jacob Verghese, Chairman, Hindustan Group of Institutions said, “Kalai Koodam 2025 created a shared cultural platform where students from across the South Zone could engage, perform and learn from one another. Such festivals play an important role in building confidence, discipline and mutual respect among young people.”
The event saw participation from 27 universities competing across multiple categories over the five days, reflecting strong inter-university representation and competitive spirit. University of Kerala emerged as the Overall Champion, winning the overall trophy through consistent performances across music, dance, theatre and literary events. Universities from Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Puducherry and Lakshadweep also secured top positions in individual categories, highlighting the breadth and diversity of talent showcased at the South Zone festival.
A distinctive feature of Kalai Koodam 2025 was the daily festival newsletter, produced entirely by HITS students, documenting performances, results and behind-the-scenes activity throughout the five days.