Sangeet Natak Akademi, the National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama, which is an Autonomous Body of Government of India and apex institution of performing arts in the country, is introducing for the first time awards for young artists from the year 2006.    The award is being launched in the name of Ustad Bismillah Khan, Bharat Ratan and Fellow of the Akademi, who passed away in 2006 and will be known as 'Ustad Bismillah Khan   Yuva Puraskar'. The objective of introducing the new award is to identify and encourage outstanding young talents in diverse fields of performing arts and give them a national recognition early in life so that they may work with greater commitment and dedication in life long pursuit of their chosen form of art. The Yuva Puraskar, it is hoped, would also support and sustain the work of the new generation in the multiple streams of regional art traditions that stand more threatened with the passage of time. The Yuva Puraskar is being given to artists below the age of 35 as on 1st April of the year and covers music, dance, theatre, puppetry and scholarship in performing arts.

The General Council of Sangeet Natak Akademi decided the names for 'Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar' for the year 2006, at its meeting held on 15^th February 2007 in New Delhi. 33 young artists who have made a mark in their respective fields of performing arts have been selected from all over the country. In the field of Music, eight Puraskars including one joint award have been given for Hundustani and Carnatic music. In the field of Dance eight young artists have been selected for Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Kathakali, Manipuri, Odissi, Kuchipudi and Music for Dance; in the field of Theatre, eight artists have been selected for Acting, Direction, Playwriting, Lighting and Stage-craft. For their talents in different forms of traditional/folk/tribal arts and puppetry, seven artists from various parts of the country have been selected. One person has been selected to receive the Yuva Puraskar for scholarship in Performing arts.The Yuva Puraskar carries a purse money of Rs. 25,000/-.  The General Council of the Sangeet Natak Akademi at its meeting held on 15^th February, 2007 selected the following artists and scholar for Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar for the year 2006:

             TRADITIONAL/FOLK/TRIBAL MUSIC/DANCE/THEATRE AND PUPPETRY

CONTRIBUTION/SCHOLARSHIP IN PERFORMING ARTS

1.     SANGEETA ESWARAN, Chennai - SCHOLARSHIP IN PERFORMING ARTS

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