NSD has organised a press conference that was addressed by Chairman NSD Society Shri Paresh Rawal.

On 30 November 2021, a press conference was organized in Sammukh Sabhagar at the
National School of Drama. The press conference was based on the progress made in the
school during the last one year.

Meanwhile, the book ‘Pancham Veda – Natya Shastra:
Naveen Drishti’ written by Shri Arjun Dev Charan was also released.
While addressing the press conference,

the chairman of the National School of Drama
Society and eminent theatre and cine-actor, Padmashree Shri Paresh Rawal, described the
progress made in the National School of Drama as the result of the collective efforts of the
entire staff and faculty of the school and Emphasized on taking the school forward.

Mr. Rawal had assumed the responsibility of the chairman in September 2020 in the midst
of the Corona pandemic and after that, keeping in mind the interests of the students, he
initiated online classes through virtual medium so that no disruption may take place in the
studies of the students.

Along with this, Shri Paresh Rawal has also taken forward the work
of school redevelopment, which had been stalled for years, with personal interest and
initiative.

It was during the tenure of Mr. Rawal that the initiative of digitization of the
school campus has also been taken and along with the smooth physical operation of classes
in the school today, the process of admissions for the new session has also started.

In order to start theater activities in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, wich had been deprived of art
activities, it was decided to start the Sanskar Rang Toli wing of the school in the state.

While addressing the press conference, the Acting Director of the National School of Drama,
Mr. Dinesh Khanna, with expressing his gratitude towards the President, underlined the role
of theater in the society and reiterated his resolve to get the school recognize as an
institution of national importance.

Mr. Khanna had assumed the responsibility of the Acting Director of the school on July 31,
2021 and after that, firstly, giving a meaningful impetus to the ambitious plan of Hon’ble
Prime Minister ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’, finalized a three-day online drama festival in the
school on 12th, 13th and 14th of August.

Under this scheme, extending the role of the
school more, through various theatre workshops across the country, involving the NSD
Reportery, Sanskar Rang Toli and extension program, a detailed outline of theatrical

performances on the unsung heroes of independence was prepared for throughout the
year. Under the series the artistes of the Reportery Company of the school penned down
and staged a play ‘Khoob Ladi Mardaani’ based on legendary Hindi poetess Subhadra Kumari
Chauhan, the first female flag bearer of Mahatma Gandhi’s Satyagraha movement- in
November 2021.

With the commencement of the process of smooth conduction of classes in the school, a
play ‘Satya Harishchandra’ in nautanki style with the students was staged in October under
the supervision of Mr. Ramdayal Sharma and Dr. Umesh Chandra Sharma: and, in the month
of October itself, under the acting scene work, selected portions from five plays of Henrik
Ibsen were staged in the Abhimanch auditorium of the school under the direction of Mr.
Dinesh Khanna. Work is currently underway on four new productions with first year and
second year students.

In the process of bringing the school activities, which were stalled due to Corona, on track
the process of new admissions in the school has started. Considering the applications
received after advertising in the newspapers for the new session in the month of
September, the process of interview is starting from 1st December 2021 and the new
session will start from January 2022.

The need for an institute of theater in the Jammu and Kashmir region was felt for a long
time. Taking an initiative to set-out the theater activities in this area, which has been
affected by terrorism for 3 decades, Shri Dinesh Khanna signed an MOU with the Jammu
and Kashmir Academy of Arts, Culture and Languages, ​in Srinagar on 30 October 2021.

By signing this, he paved the way for the establishment of theater in Education Wing of the
National School of Drama in Srinagar.