The National Academy For Music, Dance and Drama or the Sangeet Natak Academy is reckoned as one of the National level Academies for performing arts. In the year 1952, the Government of India established this Sangeet Natak Academy for the greater purpose of taking the artistry of applied art as well as the performing art to the next level of maturity. To maintain the artistic splendor and above all to preserve the rich cultural heritage of India, Sangeet Natak Academy acts as an apex body of the applied and performing art in the country. To offer art a distinct shape "Sangeet Natak Academy" works in accord to both the Governments and various art academies of different states and territories of India. The aim is to tender a discrete shape to the performing arts and also to make India stand apart with her rich heritage and cultural splendor. For the greater interest of preserving tradition, the Sangeet Natak Academy has further offered Indian convention, heritage, culture and art an institutionalized form. Hence, the institutions like "National School Of Drama", "Jawarharlal Nehru Manipur Dance Academy", "Kathak Kendra" have made their presence felt in the arena of applied art in almost all over India.

Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, who was then the Union Minister for Education at the inaguration of the Academy said -- "India`s precious heritage of music, drama and dance is one which we must cherish and develop. We must do so not only for our own sake but also as our contribution to the cultural heritage of mankind. Nowhere is it truer than in the field of art that to sustain means to create. Traditions cannot be preserved but can only be created afresh. It will be the aim of this Akademi to preserve our traditions by offering them an institutional form...". The opening speech thus clearly unfolds the objective and aim of the Academy. Since its commencement, the Academy has been one of the major elements in elevating the rich heritage of India through the copious rituals of applied and performing art.