Sangeet Natak Akademi and Lalit Kala Akademi Awards

• 11 Apr 2022

Why in News?

The Vice President bestowed the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship and Sangeet Natak Awards for the year 2018 to 44 eminent artists (4 Fellows and 40 awardees).

• He also presented Fellowships and National Awards of Lalit Kala Akademi for the year 2021 to 23 people (3 Fellows and 20 National Awards).

What is Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship (Akademi Ratna) and Award?

• Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship:
  
  • The Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship is the highest honour conferred by Sangeet Natak Akademi without distinction of nationality, race, caste, religion, creed, or sex.
  • The Fellowship of the Akademi is the most prestigious and rare honour, which is restricted to 40 numbers at any given time.
  • The honour of Akademi Fellow carries a purse money of Rs.3,00,000/- (Rupees three lakh) along with a Tamrapatra and Angavastram.
• Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards:
  
  • The awards are given to the artists from the field of Music, Dance, Theatre, Traditional/Folk/Tribal Music/Dance/Theatre, Puppetry and Overall contribution/scholarship in the Performing Arts etc.
  • Akademi Puraskar carries Rs 1,00,000/- (Rupees one lakh) along with Tamrapatra and Angavastram.

What is the Lalit Kala Akademi Award?

• The National Lalit Kala Akademi awards are conferred to recognize individuals for their outstanding work in the field of art. The awardees are selected by an esteemed panel of judges, nominated by the Akademi.

What is Sangeet Natak Akademi?

• The Sangeet Natak Akademi is India's national academy for music, dance and drama.
• It was created by a resolution of the (then) Ministry of Education, Government of India, in 1952 with Dr P.V. Rajamannar as its first Chairman.
• It is presently an Autonomous Body of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India and is fully funded by the Government for implementation of its schemes and programmes.
• The Akademi establishes and looks after institutions and projects of national importance in the field of the performing arts. Few important ones are:
  
  • National School of Drama, New Delhi was set up in 1959,
  • Jawaharlal Nehru Manipur Dance Academy in Imphal- 1954,
  • Kathak Kendra (National Institute of Kathak Dance) in New Delhi- 1964.
  • National Projects of Support to Kutiyattam (Sanskrit theatre of Kerala), Chhau dances of eastern India, Sattriya traditions of Assam, etc.

What is Lalit Kala Academy?

• The Akademi was inaugurated on 5th August, 1954, by the then Honourable Minister for Education, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad.
• The Akademi was given statutory authority in 1957, under the Societies Registration Act 1860.
• Since its establishment it has been serving the entire country by promoting the creative endeavours of Indian artists and bringing their arts to bear upon a large number of people, thereby playing an important role in defining and redefining the sensibility of an entire culture, falling under the visual arts spectrum.
• It is headquartered in New Delhi.

UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year Questions (PYQs)

Q. Consider the following statements: (2009)

1. The National School of Drama was set up by Sangeet Natak Akademi in 1959.
2. The highest honour conferred by the Sahitya Akademi on a writer is by electing him its Fellow.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Ans: (c)

Source: PIB