New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday presented the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowships and Awards for 2024 and 2025 to more than 100 artists at a special investiture ceremony in New Delhi.
The awards recognised artists for their contributions to India’s performing arts, including music, dance, theatre, folk and tribal arts, puppetry, traditional theatre and other allied forms.
Addressing the gathering, President Murmu said the awardees represent the talent and dedication of modern India. She highlighted the diversity of India’s cultural traditions, noting that the country has numerous systems of music, a wide range of dance styles and countless forms of folk theatre.
The President said artists play an important role in preserving the country’s rich folk culture and traditional art forms.
She also expressed concern over several folk art forms facing the threat of extinction. She stressed the need to document these traditions and make special efforts to ensure that they continue to survive.
President Murmu welcomed the Sangeet Natak Akademi’s Kala-Diksha programme, aimed at supporting the transmission of traditional knowledge and artistic practices.
She also urged senior artists to guide and train the younger generation so that India’s diverse performing arts traditions can be carried forward.