News Excerpt:
The President of India presented Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowships and Awards for the year 2022 and 2023 in New Delhi.
About the Awards & Fellowships:
- More than 90 artistes from the fields of Indian classical music, dance, drama, folk & tribal arts, puppetry and allied theatre art forms were felicitated.
- The honour of Akademi Fellow carries a purse money of Rs. 3,00,000/- (Rupees three lakhs) while the Akademi Award carries a purse money of Rs. 1,00,000/- (Rupees one lakh), besides a Tamrapatra and Angavastram.
- Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship (Akademi Ratna) is the highest honour given to eminent artist in the field of performing arts for his/her exceptional contribution to his/her performing art form.
- It is restricted to 40 at any given time.
About Sangeet Natak Akademi:
- It was set up by the Indian education ministry in 1952 and became functional the following year, with the appointment of its first chairman, Dr. P. V. Rajamannar.
- Dr Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India, inaugurated it on 28 January 1953 in a special function held in the Parliament House.
- It is the apex body in the field of performing arts in the country and was set up for the preservation and promotion of the vast intangible heritage of India’s diverse culture expressed in forms of music, dance and drama.
- The Chairman of the Akademi is appointed by the President of India for a term of five years.
- It is an autonomous body of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India.
