Most people assume the Sahitya Akademi came first among India’s national arts academies. But the Sangeet Natak Akademi actually predates it, by nearly two years. This article covers its founding, its top awards, and its most recent honours.
Must Know
Established 31 May 1952
- EstablishmentThe Sangeet Natak Akademi was established on 31 May 1952.
- MandateIt is India’s National Academy for Music, Dance, and Drama.
- TakeawayIt covers all three performing arts at once, not just one of them.
Inaugurated Inside Parliament House
- InaugurationPresident Rajendra Prasad formally inaugurated it on 28 January 1953, inside Parliament House.
- First ChairmanDr. P.V. Rajamannar served as its first Chairman.
- TakeawayNote the gap: established in 1952, but formally inaugurated only in 1953.
The Akademi Ratna: The Highest Honour, and The Akademi Puraskar: The Main Annual Award
- Akademi RatnaThe Akademi’s highest honour is the Akademi Ratna, also called the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship.
- Fellow CapIt is restricted to just 40 living Fellows at any one time.
- TakeawayThis is a lifetime honour with a fixed, capped size, unlike an annual award given to a fresh set of names every year.
- Akademi PuraskarThe Akademi’s main annual award is the Akademi Puraskar.
- Puraskar ScopeIt recognises practising artists, gurus, scholars, and others across music, dance, and theatre.
- TakeawayUnlike the capped Akademi Ratna, this award has no fixed lifetime ceiling on total recipients.
Good to Know
Headquartered at Rabindra Bhawan
- HeadquartersThe Akademi is headquartered at Rabindra Bhawan, on Ferozeshah Road in New Delhi.
- Sister InstitutionsIt shares this building with two sister institutions: the Sahitya Akademi and the Lalit Kala Akademi.
- TakeawayAll three of India’s national arts academies operate out of a single shared address in Delhi.
An Autonomous Body Recognising Classical Dance
- GovernanceIt works as an autonomous body under India’s Ministry of Culture.
- Dance RecognitionIt formally recognises classical dance forms of India, including Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Kathakali, Kuchipudi, Manipuri, Mohiniyattam, Odissi, and Sattriya.
- TakeawayWhether this list is described as “eight” or “nine” forms actually depends on whether Chhau is included, a nuance covered further below.
A Substantial Archive Behind the Awards, and What Each Award Actually Carries
- ArchiveThe Akademi runs a substantial archive alongside its awards.
- ScaleThis includes an audio-visual archive, a library of about 22,000 books, and a museum gallery with over 200 musical instruments.
- TakeawayAwards are only the public-facing part of a much larger documentation and preservation function.
- Fellowship PurseA Fellowship carries a purse of ₹3 lakh.
- Puraskar PurseAn Akademi Puraskar carries ₹1 lakh, along with a Tamrapatra, a copper certificate, and an Angavastram, a ceremonial shawl.
- TakeawayBoth awards combine a cash purse with a distinct ceremonial object, not cash alone.
Exam Point of View
The Oldest of India’s Three National Academies
- WisdomThe Sangeet Natak Akademi is the oldest of India’s three national arts academies, established in 1952, well before the Sahitya Akademi and Lalit Kala Akademi, both inaugurated in 1954.
- WhyExams sometimes exploit the assumption that literature, via the Sahitya Akademi, must have been recognised first, since it tends to receive more public attention than performing arts.
- TakeawayIf a question asks which of these three academies came first, the performing-arts one is the correct, if counter-intuitive, answer.
Eight or Nine Classical Dances? A Real Exam Trap
- WisdomSome sources list eight Sangeet Natak Akademi-recognised classical dance forms, while others list nine, adding Chhau to the standard eight.
- WhyThis genuine classification variation means a question’s exact wording, “eight” versus “nine,” “which is NOT included,” matters more than memorising a single fixed number.
- TakeawayLearn the list of named dance forms itself, rather than relying on a single count that can vary by source.
- LinkVerified against Testbook, How many classical dances are there in India according to the Sangeet Natak Akademi.
✅ Test Yourself
Loading practice…
Great to Know
A Separate Award Track for Young Artists
- Yuva PuraskarThe Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar, established in 2006, is a third, distinct award track, aimed specifically at outstanding artists under 40.
- WhyUnlike the career-capping Akademi Ratna or the general Akademi Puraskar, this award exists to recognise talent early, in an artist’s career, not late in it.
- TakeawayThe Akademi actually runs three distinct award tiers, not two, once early-career recognition is counted alongside the two career-later honours.
- LinkVerified against GKToday, Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar 2024.
📰 Current Affairs
- In June 2026, the Akademi announced its Fellowship and Awards for 2024 and 2025 together, in one combined round. Its General Council elected 7 new Akademi Ratna Fellows, within the cap of 40 living Fellows. (Source: Pratidin Time)
- The same announcement named 108 Akademi Puraskar awardees and 106 Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar recipients, across the two combined years. Recipients came from states and union territories across India. (Source: Pratidin Time)
Beyond the answer
Browse all art-and-culture topics →
📚 Keep reading
GK0005 — Cultural Institutions of IndiaArtnCulture0107 — Lalit Kala AkademiArtnCulture0005 — Indian Music: Hindustani and Carnatic TraditionsIndGov0065 — The Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar: Honouring Children on the Day Two Boys Refused to BowGK0016 — The Jnanpith Award❓ Practice this topic
Consider the following passage and identify the person: Born in April 1932, she was a renowned Hindustani classical vocalist. She was recognized as an innovative exponent of the Jaipur Gharana. She was awarded Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan. She was also a Fellow of Sangeet Natak Akademy. She died in April 2017. **[CAPF (ACs) 2017]**D3924 — Which dance form of India has been inscribed into UNESCO's Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity?D3562 — With reference to the ancient architectural development in the hills of North Indian States, consider the following statements: 1. The temple 'Garbhagriha' and 'Shikhara' were made in a Rekha-prasada or Latina style. 2. The Pandrethan Temple in Kashmir is built on a plinth in the middle of a tank. 3. The Jageshwar Temple is located in Garhwal region. 4. The Lakshana Devi Mandir shows the influence of the post-Gupta tradition. How many statements given above are correct? **[CAPF (ACs) 2025]**D3412 — Who among the following classical poets is the author of the book Kiratarjuniyam? **[CAPF (ACs) 2025]**🎲 Take a Art And Culture Quiz
Leave a Reply