Eminent danseuse Sonal Mansingh has been appointed as a visiting faculty of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur, an official statement said on Monday. "Dr Mansingh will be joining the Institute as Distinguished Visiting Faculty & will be associated with Academy of Classical and Folk Arts & Centre of Excellence on IKS," IIT Kharagpur posted on their official 'X' account. Under the aegis of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 that brings together multiple disciplines in a curriculum to create a holistic learning experience, IIT Kharagpur has brought on board Padma Vibhushan awardee Sonal Mansingh as the distinguished visiting faculty, a statement issued by the institute said. Mansingh is a Rajya Sabha member and founder of the Centre for Classical Indian Dance, it said. She will impart her training and demonstration once a semester for the benefit of students, faculty members and campus community in association with the Centre of Excellence for Indian Knowledge System (CoEIKS) and Academy of Classical and Folk Arts (ACFA) for a period of three, the official statement read. "Her inputs and guidance would help in developing and establishing a unique programme of pedagogy of the Indian classical dance," IIT Kharagpur said in a release. She has performed, given lectures and conducted workshops in 90 countries around the world, the statement said, and has been the recipient of the Padma Bhushan (1992) and Padma Vibhushan (2003). She is also nominated as one of the NAVARATNAs for the Swachh Bharat Mission by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "Dance is a part of the environment and dance forms should reflect issues of the society. The art forms have the power to bring even countries closer," Mansingh said.
