National School of Drama Admissions 2024-25

The National School of Drama is the only theatre training facility of its kind in India and one of the best in the world. As one of its constituent divisions, it was established by the Sangeet Natak Akademi in 1959. The School’s training is quite intense and is based on a rigorous, detailed, carefully organised syllabus that covers every facet of theatre and links theory to practice. Students are required to write plays as part of their education, which are then produced for the general audience.

Are you also preparing for NSD admission? Then this blog will surely help you! 

Institute Name	National School of Drama
Location	New Delhi, India
Type	Government/Public, Autonomous
Founded	1959
Affiliated with	Sangeet Natak Akademi
Courses offered	Postgraduate Diploma course in Dramatic Arts
Official website	https://nsd.gov.in/
Mode of admission	Offline and Online
Availability of Scholarship	Yes

NSD Admission Dates 2024 

The table below represents the tentative dates for NSD admission 2023:

Events	Dates (Tentative)
Release of application form	June 2024
Registration	June 2024 to July 2024
Admit card release	TBA
Preliminary Exam	TBA
Declaration of result	TBA
Final Workshop	TBA
Counselling	TBA

Application Process for NSD Admission 

Students can apply for NSD admission through both online and offline modes according to their convenience and preference. Following are some of the steps that a student needs to follow while applying for NSD admission through online mode: 

1. Go to the National School of Drama’s website. 

2. After arriving at the institute’s “Home” website, select the “New Admission” window. There will be a new page loaded.

3. Fill out all the relevant information to register as a new applicant. Moreover, the undergraduate degree certificate must be submitted.

4. A candidate must give a total of Rs. 50 which is the online application cost. The money can be paid with a debit or credit card. There is also the option of using net banking.

Eligibility Criteria for NSD Admission 

In order to take admission at the National School of Drama the candidate must meet the following eligibility criteria:

1. The applicant must hold an undergraduate degree from a worldwide institution of higher learning. No preference is provided based on the bachelor’s degree stream that the applicant completed.

2. Working knowledge in both Hindi and English is crucial for a candidate.

3. The applicant must have at least six years of theatre-related job experience. Specific theatre-specific documentation must be provided during the entrance.

4. A minimum of one letter of recommendation is required for the applicant. Only a renowned theatre specialist should sign the letter.

5. When applying for admission to the NSD, the individual must additionally present a medical certificate certifying their fitness.

6. Throughout the admissions process, a candidate’s age must be at least 18. NSD has set the maximum age at 30. Candidates from the reserved categories, which include SC, ST, and OBC applicants, are given a concession on the upper age restriction. An applicant who falls into one of these categories may be 35 years old at most.

Also Read: Highest paying careers in the entertainment industry 

NSD Admission 2024 Selection Process 

To select candidates for the diploma course, NSD’s selection process comprises 2 stages – A preliminary exam and Final Workshop. The following points will help you clarify the process: 

1. Candidates who meet all eligibility requirements must take a preliminary exam, which is essentially an audition, in the first part of the selection process. The NSD is in charge of planning and carrying out the test.

2. There are test centres located all over India. There are a total of 12 testing locations in India. As testing locations, major cities like Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, and a few more are picked.

3. The shortlisted candidate who passed the preliminary test is required to attend a session in phase two after being released. The session will take place on the institute’s property. The workshop will last for five days.

4. The selection of candidates for further consideration will be based on their work history and performance on the NSD test.

5. After evaluating the candidate’s performance and talent in the field of theatre, a decision is made.

6. An applicant must also pass a medical exam in order to be officially selected for NSD.

7. There are a total of 23 seats. Out of these 23, four seats are set aside for candidates from the scheduled caste (SC), two for applicants from the scheduled tribe (ST), and seven for candidates from other backward castes (OBC).

Also Read: Best Acting colleges in India 

NSD Entrance Examination

The questions at the NSD entrance exam 2024 will gauge the aptitude of the candidate along with their acting skills. The syllabus for the entrance exam will be available online. Following are some of the topics on which the questions of the exam will be based: 

Natyashastra	Relationship between rituals and folk theatre
Western Theatre	Karnataka Folk theatre forms
Names of the Sanskrit playwriters	Influence of western culture in India drama
Origin and development of folk theatre	Importance of Street plays
Overview of Amateur theatre	Indus Valley civilisation art
Origin and development of Sanskrit Theatre	History of famous persons who studied at NSD
Origin and development of Ancient Indian theatre	Famous Theatre persons in India
Folks forms and technology	Methods of Acting

Fee Structure 

The average yearly cost of pursuing a Diploma in Dramatic Arts at NSD is around INR 10,500. The table below represents the bifurcation of the total fee structure.  

Admission	INR 50
Mess Charges	INR 650 per month (going to vary every month)
Hostel Expenses	INR 14 per month
Hostel Rent per seat	INR 110 per month
Students’ Union (membership fee)	INR 24
Caution Money (refundable)	INR  2000
Tuition Fee	INR 80 per month
Costume for Exercise Classes	INR 800 per month
Advance for Make-up Kit (adjustable)	INR 1000
Stationary	INR 800
Electricity and Water Charges (adjustable)	INR 40 per month
Medical Fee	INR 1 per month

NSD Course Syllabus 

The Postgraduate Diploma course at NSD is spread over three years and split into six semesters. The table below represents the semester-wise syllabus at NSD: 

Semesters	Subjects
Semester-1	Introduction to Acting
	Theatre History, Literature & Aesthetics
	Introduction to Theatre Techniques & Design
Semester-2	Introduction to Acting-II
	Theatre History, Literature & Aesthetics – II
	Introduction to Theatre Techniques & Design-II
	Theatre History, Literature & Aesthetics- II
Semester -3	Yoga
	Movement
	Voice & Speech
	Theatre & Music
	Acting & Improvisation
Semester-4	Theatre Architecture
	Scenic Design
	Costume Design
	Lighting Design
	Makeup Design
Semester-5&6	Specialization Chosen in the Second year between Acting or Theatre History, Literature & Aesthetics

Also Read: Explore a career in Screenwriting

FAQs

Located in Delhi, the National School of Drama holds a global reputation for being the top-ranked theatre training school and it is also regarded as one of its kind in India. If you are someone who is passionate about the field of drama and art and wants to become a theatre artist then NSD is a place where you should start or continue your journey of becoming an artist. 

This is everything you need to know about NSD admission. Make sure you follow Leverage Edu for more such informative articles on Indian universities.