New Delhi: Delhi High Court has stayed an upper age limit of 30 years prescribed by National School of Drama (NSD) for admission to its three-year diploma course in dramatic arts, pointing out that there can be no such bar to learn acting.
In the process, the court permitted the petitioners to apply for the programme irrespective of their age.“Fixing of the upper age limit for a diploma has no reasonable nexus with the objective it seeks to achieve. Acting is an art that can be developed and refined at any stage of life, it is not bound by any criteria,” Justice Jasmeet Singh noted in a recent hearing while granting the interim relief.The court observed that the fixation of an upper age limit for a talent-based field like acting appeared prima facie arbitrary and violative of fundamental rights guaranteed under articles 14, 19(1)(g) and 21 of Constitution.The petitioners, aged 34 and 42, had challenged the admission notification issued by NSD, which prescribed the age limit of 30 years as on July 1, 2026. They were otherwise eligible in terms of qualifications and experience. The high court directed that the petitioners be allowed to apply and participate in the admission process “de hors” (irrespective of) their age.The applicants also raised broader constitutional questions regarding the validity of age-based restrictions in professional and creative education, arguing that such limitations unjustifiably exclude otherwise capable candidates.
