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Context

Sangeet Natak Akademi to have South India centre in Hyderabad.

Details

The National Academy of Music, Dance, and Drama

History:

• Established by the Indian education ministry on 31 May 1952, became functional the following year.
• Inaugurated by Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India, on 28 January 1953.
• Considered prestigious, with its Fellowship and Award.

Functions:

• Acts as the apex body for performing arts, preserving and promoting India's cultural heritage in music, dance, and drama.
• Collaborates with governments and art academies across states and territories.
• Established several institutions over the years, including Manipur Dance Academy and Kathak Kendra.

Initiatives:

• Subsidizes institutions engaged in teaching and promoting music, dance, or theatre.
• Provides grants for research, documentation, and publishing in the performing arts.
• Organizes seminars, conferences, and festivals to promote cultural exchange.
• Advises and assists the government in formulating policies in the field of performing arts.

Facilities:

• Audio–Visual Archive: Largest in the country, utilized for research on Indian performing arts.
• Library: Houses about 22,000 books covering various subjects related to performing arts.
• Gallery of Musical Instruments: Displays over 200 musical instruments.
• Documentation Unit: Records works of masters in music, dance, and theatre for research purposes.
• Awards and Fellowships: Recognizes excellence through awards like Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar.

Awards and Recognitions:

• Sangeet Natak Akademi Award: Highest national recognition for practicing artists, gurus, and scholars.
• Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship (Ratna Sadsya): Conferred upon distinguished individuals for their contribution to arts, music, dance, and theatre.
• Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar: Recognizes young artists under 40 years of age.
• Tagore Ratna and Tagore Puraskar: Commemorating the 150th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore.
• Kala Deeksha Initiative: Carrying on Guru Shishya Parampara.

Indian Classical Dances:

• SNA confers awards on nine Indian classical dance forms, including Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Kathakali, Kuchipudi, Manipuri, Mohiniattam, Odissi, Sattriya, and Chhau.

Equivalents:

• Lalit Kala Akademi: Equivalent national academy for visual arts.
• Sahitya Akademi: Equivalent national academy for literature.

PRACTICE QUESTION Q. Discuss the role played by Sangeet Natak Akademi in the preservation and promotion of diverse cultural heritage of the country. (15 marks)