New Delhi: The Broad Based Committee(Vision Committee) set up by the National School of Drama (NSD) Society in February 2005, inter-alia, had recommended opening of five regional centers of the NSD across the country. On the basis of these recommendations, the decision to establish Five Regional Centers during the 11th Five Year Plan period (2007-2012), one each at Kolkata, Mumbai/Goa, J&K, and North-East besides upgrading the existing Regional Resource cum Research Centre, Bengaluru to a full-fledged regional centre was taken by the Government. These regional centers were to be established in consultation with concerned State Governments, who were required to provide land/ accommodation for the purpose.
The State Governments were required to provide accommodation/land for opening of the centers. So far, only Government of Karnataka has provided land/accommodation in 2013 at Bengaluru for the purpose where one year theatre training course is being organized by NSD. Currently, the Bengaluru centre is running one year course on dramatic arts.
The Government of Jammu & Kashmir and Assam have been reminded for providing the accommodation for the purpose of opening of NSD’s regional centre but there has been no response from them so far.
In so far as opening of NSD’s centre at Mumbai is concerned, the requisite space/accommodation has yet not been located in spite of an advertisement issued in 2016 in the leading newspapers. Effort is also being made with the Government of Maharashtra (Dept. of Culture) to provide requisite space.
In so far as opening of a new centre of NSD at Kolkata is concerned, as per the observations made by the Department Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture, the Ministry of Culture had taken up the matter with various organizations under its control at Kolkata for providing accommodation for opening of a new centre of NSD over there. NSD had also requested them to intimate if they could provide a suitable accommodation to the NSD for the purpose. But the said organizations have shown their inability to provide accommodation for the purpose.
This information was given by Minister of State (IC) for Culture and Minister of State for Environment, Forest & Climate Change Dr. Mahesh Sharma in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.
