Patna: Bihar’s long-standing theatre and performing arts tradition is set to get a major institutional boost with the Centre approving the establishment of a new campus of the National School of Drama (NSD) in the state.
Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary announced the development on Tuesday and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat for approving the proposal.

The Bihar government will provide suitable land for the campus and bear 50% of the approved construction cost as its share. It will also extend administrative support to facilitate the early establishment of the institution.

The proposed NSD campus is expected to give young artists in Bihar access to professional training in theatre, stagecraft and performing arts, along with opportunities for advanced research.

For aspiring actors and theatre practitioners, this could mean access to specialised training within the state instead of having to travel elsewhere. It will also create greater opportunities to connect Bihar’s rich traditions of folk theatre with contemporary theatre practices.

Bihar has a long and distinctive performing arts tradition, with figures such as Ramvriksh Benipuri and Bhikhari Thakur associated with its cultural legacy. The state’s folk theatre traditions have continued across generations, while institutions such as the Bihar Sangeet Natak Akademi are working towards their preservation and promotion.

The new NSD campus is therefore being viewed not simply as another educational institution, but as an investment in Bihar’s cultural heritage and its next generation of artists.

With professional training, local talent and Bihar’s traditional performing arts coming together under one institutional ecosystem, the campus could give the state’s theatre community a stronger presence on the national stage.

BI bureau