The Sangeet NatakAkademi – India’s national academy for music, dance and drama – is the first National Academy of the arts set-up by the Republic of India. It was created by a resolution of the (then) Ministry of Education, Government of India, dated 31 May 1952 notified in the Gazette of India of June 1952. The Akademi became functional the following year, with the appointment of its first Chairman, Dr P.V. Rajamannar, and the formation of its all-India council of representatives, the General Council. The first President of India, Dr Rajendra Prasad, inaugurated it on 28 January 1953 in a special function held in the Parliament House
Aims and Objectives
- To co-ordinate the activities of regional or State Academies of music, dance and drama.
- To promote research in the fields of Indian music, dance and drama and for this purpose, to establish a library and museum, etc.
- To co-operate with such similar Academies as there may be and other institutions and associations for the furtherance of its objects and for the enrichment of Indian culture as a whole.
- To encourage the exchange of ideas and enrichment of techniques between the different regions in regard to the arts of music, dance and drama.
- To encourage the establishment of theatre centres, on the basis of regional languages, and co-operation among different theatre centers.
- To encourage the setting up of institutions providing training in the art of theatre, including instructions in actor’s training, study of stage-craft and production of plays.