Lalit Kala Akademi (National Academy of Art) is India's highest national body for promotion of visual arts in all forms including painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography, ceramics, and crafts. Established in 1954, it organises national and international art exhibitions, the prestigious Triennale India, National Art Exhibitions with fellowships and awards, and art education programmes. Programme Officers manage art events, artist fellowship and residency programmes, publications on Indian art, documentation of contemporary Indian artists, and coordination of regional art exhibitions across Lalit Kala Akademi's regional centres in Chennai, Lucknow, Kolkata, Bhubaneswar, and Garhi (Delhi).

The exam covers Fine Arts and Art History (history of Indian art from prehistoric cave paintings through classical, medieval, and contemporary periods; Western art history including Renaissance, Impressionism, Modern and Postmodern art; prominent Indian artists and art movements; art techniques and media; architectural history of India), General Studies and Indian Culture (Indian cultural heritage, crafts traditions, folk arts, national cultural institutions), Arts Administration and Management (exhibition management, art grant processes, cultural programme planning, intellectual property in arts), and Hindi or English Language proficiency. Recent Lalit Kala Akademi award and fellowship recipients should be memorised.

Key periods include prehistoric rock art (Bhimbetka), Indus Valley civilisation art and urban planning, Mauryan art (Ashoka pillars, yaksha sculptures), Gupta period (terracotta, murals including Ajanta and Ellora), South Indian temple sculpture and bronze tradition (Chola bronzes), Mughal miniature painting school, Rajput and Pahari miniature traditions, Company School, Bengal School of Art (Abanindranath Tagore, Rabindranath Tagore's visual art), Progressive Artists' Group (F.N. Souza, M.F. Husain, S.H. Raza, Ara), Baroda school, and contemporary movements. Understanding the Triennale India and its role in promoting Indian art internationally is also important.

Candidates should know prominent artists across historical and contemporary periods including: Classical — Amrita Sher-Gil; Progressive Artists' Group founders F.N. Souza, M.F. Husain, S.H. Raza, K.H. Ara, H.A. Gade, S.K. Bakre; Baroda school artists including K.G. Subramanyan, Ghulam Mohammed Sheikh; sculptors Ramkinker Baij, Meera Mukherjee; printmakers Krishna Reddy; contemporary artists including Subodh Gupta, Nalini Malani, Shilpa Gupta. Also know major folk and craft traditions: Madhubani, Warli, Pattachitra, Gond, Kalamkari, and major craft clusters associated with national design institutions.

Interview panels assess candidates on understanding of art grant processes and funding structures for arts organisations, exhibition planning and curation concepts, documentation and archiving of cultural heritage, intellectual property rights in visual arts, international cultural exchange mechanisms including ICCR and bilateral cultural agreements, event management skills, stakeholder coordination with artists, galleries, museums, and educational institutions, and knowledge of government cultural policies and relevant ministry schemes. Familiarity with National Mission on Cultural Mapping, IGNCA (Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts), and NGA (National Gallery of Modern Art) operations is valued.