NEWS: Sangeet Natak Akademià Has selected 7 eminent personalities for the prestigious Akademi Ratna (Fellowship) and conferred Akademi Awards on 108 artistes for 2024-25.

CONTEXT

• Selected 106 young artists for Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar for the years 2024 and 2025
• The Akademi Fellowship (Akademi Ratna) carries a cash prize of ₹3 lakh, while the Akademi Award carries ₹1 lakh, along with a Tamrapatra (citation plaque) and Angavastram (shawl of honour).
• Fellowship of the Akademi à restricted to 40 at any given time.

About Sangeet Natak Akademi

• It is an autonomous body under the Ministry of Culture.
• Apex body for the promotion and preservation of the country’s performing arts and intangible cultural heritage.
• Created by a Government of India resolution in 1952 and became functional in 1953;
• Chairman: Appointed by the President of India for a term of 5 years.
• Confers the Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards and Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship (Akademi Ratna), provides grants to artists and institutions, undertakes research and documentation, and organises festivals, seminars, workshops, and cultural exchange programmes