National School of Drama - [NSD], New Delhi

National School of Drama (NSD) provides only one diploma course in the field of Dramatic Arts. Admission to the school is done on the basis of the entrance examination conducted by the school itself. It has produced a number of famous actors, directors, producers, politicians, etc. 

National School of Drama Highlights

NSD Courses

The school provides a diploma course for candidates interested in making theatre their profession. Given below are the details for the same:

Course Name: Diploma Course in Dramatic Arts

• Duration: 3-years | Full-time
• Total Seats: 26
• Eligibility: Graduation in any discipline with participation in at least 6 theatre different productions
• Medium of instruction: Hindi/ English

Know more: National School of Drama Course and Fee

National School of Drama Admission

The admission process for the diploma course usually begins from the 1^st week of May. Interested candidates can apply through both online and offline mode. Following are the desirable points for taking admission in the course:

• 3 recommendations from theatre experts
• Documentary proof of the theatre experience
• Age limit as on July 1, 2019 – Minimum 18 years and Maximum 30 years

Selection Procedure:

The selection in the diploma course consists of a 2 phase process.

Phase 1: Eligible candidates will require to appear in a preliminary examination conducted by NSD. The test will take place in various parts of the country such as Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai, etc. Syllabus for the test can be found on the official website of the school.

Phase 2: Candidates qualifying the test will need to attend a workshop of 5 days in New Delhi in the school premises. Final selection will take place on the basis of performance and aptitude of the candidate. 

Note: The school can shortlist the number of candidates for audition/ preliminary tests on the basis of experience in theatre arts. Also, the students selected for admission will be required to undergo a medical test for physical fitness at NDS Delhi. 

Reservations

Following are the criteria for reservation policy followed by the school:

• 4 seats – Scheduled Caste
• 2 seats – Scheduled Tribe
• 7 seats – OBC (Non-Creamy Layer)

Check: National School of Drama Admission

National School of Drama Scholarships

The school offers a scholarship for all the selected candidates to the diploma course. They will be awarded an amount of INR 8000 per month to meet their academic and other expenses. The awardee of this scholarship will be required to follow the listed items:

• They will be required to furnish a surety of INR 1,08,000 duly attested by District Magistrate/ Collector/ Deputy Commissioner
• They will also be required to execute a bond of INR 1,08,00 if s/he decides to discontinue training before 3 years. 

The selected candidates will be covered by Risk Insurance Policy and are requires to pay an amount of INR 150 to 200 annually.

National School of Drama Facilities

The following are some of the facilities provided by the school to cater to the needs of theatre artists. 

1. Library: The school has an extensive collection of 26,665 books, 4000 volumes of periodicals, 1064 gramophone, and about 200 journals. It covers subjects related to play direction, theatre architecture, stage design, history and criticism of theatre in India. 
2. Hostels: There are separate hostel facilities for boys and girls. It is compulsory for all students to join the hostel since the course is fully-residential. Hostel rent per seat is INR 110 per month and INR 40 per month for Electricity & water charges.
3. Performing Spaces: There are 4 performing spaces available on campus for staging productions. 
4. Study Material: The students are provided with free study material which includes a mount board, drawing paper, and wood for classroom purposes only. Each student will be allotted a locker for his/her material and personal belongings.

National School of Drama Faculty

Given below is the list of faculty members at the drama school:

Prof. Ashok Sagar Bhagat

• Qualifications: Graduated from NSD
• Awards: Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2002)
• Contributions: Art Film Director for films like Bandit Queen and Hazaron Khwahishen Aisi

Prof. Hema Singh

• Qualifications: B.A (Hons) Political Science and Graduated from NSD
• Awards: Manohar Singh Smriti Award (2008)
• Contributions: Conducted workshops in India and abroad; translated books on theatre, developed scripts for NCERT, etc.

Prof. Dinesh Khanna

• Qualifications: Graduate from Lucknow University and PG Diploma from NSD
• Awards: Bhartendu Natya Academy
• Contributions: Written several articles on theatre and has involved in acting and directing for 20 years

Prof. Abhilash Pillai

• Qualifications: Diploma in theatre production from London and PG Diploma from NSD
• Awards: Sanskriti Award and Kerala Sangeet Natak Award
• Contributions: Initiated 1^st collaboration between NSD and Grand Circus, Kerala

Prof. Amitesh Grover

• Qualifications: MA (Performative Arts) and Graduate from NSD
• Awards: KMAT Residency; SNA Bismillah Khan Award; BC Theatre Sutra Award; and YCE Award nomination.
• Contributions: Performance maker for more than 15 performance & Mixed-Media Installations with 110 shows across 9 countries.

Click here: NSD Faculty

NSD Alumni

The school has produced a number of prominent celebrities, politicians, business people, athletes, etc. The list includes Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri, Piyush Mishra, Anupam Kher, Meghna Malik, Ratna Pathak, Shahrukh Khan, Pankaj Tripathi, Irfan Khan, etc.