96-667: The Sahitya Akademi Award is a literary honour in India, which the Sahitya Akademi , India's National Academy of Letters, annually confers on writers of the most outstanding books of literary merit published in any of the 22 languages of the 8th Schedule to the Indian constitution as well as in English and Rajasthani language . Established in 1954, the award comprises a plaque and a cash prize of ₹ 1,00,000. The award's purpose
192-959: A Festival of Letters and the Samvatsar Annual Lecture. The Sahitya Akademi periodically holds International Seminars, sometimes in collaboration with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations . The first international seminar was held in 1961, in New Delhi, to mark 100 years since the birth of Rabindranath Tagore . About 25 writers from 16 countries, along with 39 writers from India met over four days to discuss and commemorate Tagore's works. Attendees included Aldous Huxley , Martin Wickremesinghe , Jean Guehenno , Zaki Naguib Mahmoud , Isaiah Berlin , and Louis Untermeyer as well as Amrita Pritam , Ramdhari Sinha Dinkar, Rayaprolu Subba Rao, and Premendra Mitra . In 1991,
288-698: A Festival of Letters and the Samvatsar Annual Lecture. The Sahitya Akademi periodically holds International Seminars, sometimes in collaboration with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations . The first international seminar was held in 1961, in New Delhi, to mark 100 years since the birth of Rabindranath Tagore . About 25 writers from 16 countries, along with 39 writers from India met over four days to discuss and commemorate Tagore's works. Attendees included Aldous Huxley , Martin Wickremesinghe , Jean Guehenno , Zaki Naguib Mahmoud , Isaiah Berlin , and Louis Untermeyer as well as Amrita Pritam , Ramdhari Sinha Dinkar, Rayaprolu Subba Rao, and Premendra Mitra . In 1991,
384-613: A Finance Committee. The General Council is empowered to elect a president and vice-president, from a panel of three candidates chosen by the executive board. In addition to these, the executive board appoints a secretary, who functions as both the Secretary of the Akademi and as ex-officio secretary of all three governing bodies. The General Council of the Sahitya Akademi operates for a term of five years, following which it
480-436: A Finance Committee. The General Council is empowered to elect a president and vice-president, from a panel of three candidates chosen by the executive board. In addition to these, the executive board appoints a secretary, who functions as both the Secretary of the Akademi and as ex-officio secretary of all three governing bodies. The General Council of the Sahitya Akademi operates for a term of five years, following which it
576-477: A cabal of writers and officials. The appointment by a committee composed of Narang, Tiwari and others of the current Secretary K. Sreenivasa Rao, is controversial as Rao's academic credentials for the top job, who had joined the Akademi as a lower division clerk (LDC), are said to be insufficient and extremely dubious. The 171st Parliamentary Standing Committee on the functioning of Sahitya Akademi and three other institutions chaired by Sitaram Yechury and tabled at
672-477: A cabal of writers and officials. The appointment by a committee composed of Narang, Tiwari and others of the current Secretary K. Sreenivasa Rao, is controversial as Rao's academic credentials for the top job, who had joined the Akademi as a lower division clerk (LDC), are said to be insufficient and extremely dubious. The 171st Parliamentary Standing Committee on the functioning of Sahitya Akademi and three other institutions chaired by Sitaram Yechury and tabled at
768-508: A literary movement, a current literary trend, some original thinking about a great writer or a great classic or a new path in literary criticism or literary creation". The Lectures have been delivered since 1986 by people including the Hindi writer Sachchidananda Vatsyayan (1986), Marathi poet and writer Vinda Karandikar (1991), Assamese novelist Nabakanta Barua (1994), and Malayalam author and director, M T Vasudevan Nair (1999). In 2014,
864-456: A literary movement, a current literary trend, some original thinking about a great writer or a great classic or a new path in literary criticism or literary creation". The Lectures have been delivered since 1986 by people including the Hindi writer Sachchidananda Vatsyayan (1986), Marathi poet and writer Vinda Karandikar (1991), Assamese novelist Nabakanta Barua (1994), and Malayalam author and director, M T Vasudevan Nair (1999). In 2014,
960-481: A plaque and a cash prize of ₹1,00,000 (from 2009). The Sahitya Akademi instituted the Bhasha Samman in 1996 to be given to writers, scholars, editors, collectors, performers or translators who have made considerable contribution to the propagation, modernization or enrichment of the languages concerned. The Samman carries a plaque along with an amount equal to its awards for creative literature i.e. ₹1,00,000. It
1056-555: A prize for translations into each of the twenty-two languages recognised by the Akademi; however, this was soon found to be unviable for several reasons: the Akademi found that there were insufficient entries in all the languages, and there were difficulties in locating experts knowledgeable in both, the language of translation and the original language, to judge the translations. Consequently, the Board decided to dispense with its original requirement for additional expert committees to evaluate
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#17327655894131152-472: Is a literary honor in India which Sahitya Akademi annually confers on writers of the most outstanding books of literary merit published in any of the major Indian languages recognised by the Akademi. Sahitya Akademi conferres annually the Yuva Puraskar to young writers (under 35 years) of outstanding works in one of the 24 major Indian languages. It was founded in 2011. Other programmes organised by
1248-410: Is a literary honor in India which Sahitya Akademi annually confers on writers of the most outstanding books of literary merit published in any of the major Indian languages recognised by the Akademi. Sahitya Akademi conferres annually the Yuva Puraskar to young writers (under 35 years) of outstanding works in one of the 24 major Indian languages. It was founded in 2011. Other programmes organised by
1344-590: Is an organisation dedicated to the promotion of literature in the languages of India . Founded on 12 March 1954, it is supported by, though independent of the Indian government . Its office is located in Rabindra Bhavan near Mandi House in Delhi . The Sahitya Akademi organises national and regional workshops and seminars; provides research and travel grants to authors; publishes books and journals, including
1440-422: Is an organisation dedicated to the promotion of literature in the languages of India . Founded on 12 March 1954, it is supported by, though independent of the Indian government . Its office is located in Rabindra Bhavan near Mandi House in Delhi . The Sahitya Akademi organises national and regional workshops and seminars; provides research and travel grants to authors; publishes books and journals, including
1536-547: Is held in February and is the occasion at which the Akademi presents its awards . The festival is accompanied by an exhibition that covers major literary events of the previous year, as well as a 'Writers' Meet' which is a literary seminar spanning three days. The Samvatsar Annual Lecture is organised by the Sahitya Akademi and is delivered during the Akademi's Annual Festival of Letters. The Sahitya Akademi notes that these lectures "should open up new vistas of thinking regarding
1632-491: Is held in February and is the occasion at which the Akademi presents its awards . The festival is accompanied by an exhibition that covers major literary events of the previous year, as well as a 'Writers' Meet' which is a literary seminar spanning three days. The Samvatsar Annual Lecture is organised by the Sahitya Akademi and is delivered during the Akademi's Annual Festival of Letters. The Sahitya Akademi notes that these lectures "should open up new vistas of thinking regarding
1728-636: Is independent from the recognition of languages by the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India . The idea of constituting a National Academy of Letters in India was considered by the colonial British government, and in 1944 a proposal from the Royal Asiatic Society of Bengal for the formation of a 'National Cultural Trust' was, in principle, accepted. The original plan conceived of three institutions, or academies, devoted to
1824-438: Is independent from the recognition of languages by the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India . The idea of constituting a National Academy of Letters in India was considered by the colonial British government, and in 1944 a proposal from the Royal Asiatic Society of Bengal for the formation of a 'National Cultural Trust' was, in principle, accepted. The original plan conceived of three institutions, or academies, devoted to
1920-428: Is reconstituted. It meets once a year and performs several important functions, including appointing the Akademi's president and vice-president, electing members of the executive board, framing rules and procedures for the Akademi, and electing fellows on the recommendation of the board. The General Council consists of the following members: The executive board of the Sahitya Akademi exercises executive authority and
2016-428: Is reconstituted. It meets once a year and performs several important functions, including appointing the Akademi's president and vice-president, electing members of the executive board, framing rules and procedures for the Akademi, and electing fellows on the recommendation of the board. The General Council consists of the following members: The executive board of the Sahitya Akademi exercises executive authority and
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#17327655894132112-627: Is responsible for supervising and controlling the Akademi's work. It prepares the Akademi's annual budget, appoints the secretary, and prepares panels of nominees for the General Council to consider and select fellows. It consists of the president, the vice-president, the financial advisor, two of the Government of India's nominees in the General Council (one of whom must represent the Ministry of Culture) and one person to represent each of
2208-447: Is responsible for supervising and controlling the Akademi's work. It prepares the Akademi's annual budget, appoints the secretary, and prepares panels of nominees for the General Council to consider and select fellows. It consists of the president, the vice-president, the financial advisor, two of the Government of India's nominees in the General Council (one of whom must represent the Ministry of Culture) and one person to represent each of
2304-548: Is the purpose of this Akademi to recognise men of achievement in letters, to encourage men of promise in letters, to educate public taste and to improve standards of literature and literary criticism." A key concern in the early days of the Sahitya Akademi was the establishment of its autonomy from the Central Government. This concern was echoed by the Prime Minister, who noted that, "...it is an honour to be
2400-415: Is the purpose of this Akademi to recognise men of achievement in letters, to encourage men of promise in letters, to educate public taste and to improve standards of literature and literary criticism." A key concern in the early days of the Sahitya Akademi was the establishment of its autonomy from the Central Government. This concern was echoed by the Prime Minister, who noted that, "...it is an honour to be
2496-498: Is to recognise and promote excellence in Indian writing and also acknowledge new trends. The annual process of selecting awardees runs for the preceding twelve months. The plaque awarded by the Sahitya Akademi was designed by the Indian film-maker Satyajit Ray . Prior to this, the plaque occasionally was made of marble, but this practice was discontinued because of the excessive weight. During the Indo-Pakistan War of 1965 ,
2592-732: The Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature ; and presents the annual Sahitya Akademi Award of INR. 100,000 in each of the 24 languages it supports, as well as the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship for lifetime achievement. The Sahitya Akademi Library is one of the largest multi-lingual libraries in India, with a rich collection of books on literature and allied subjects. It publishes two bimonthly literary journals: Indian Literature in English and Samkaleen Bharatiya Sahitya in Hindi. The Sahitya Akademi supports work in
2688-537: The Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature ; and presents the annual Sahitya Akademi Award of INR. 100,000 in each of the 24 languages it supports, as well as the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship for lifetime achievement. The Sahitya Akademi Library is one of the largest multi-lingual libraries in India, with a rich collection of books on literature and allied subjects. It publishes two bimonthly literary journals: Indian Literature in English and Samkaleen Bharatiya Sahitya in Hindi. The Sahitya Akademi supports work in
2784-743: The Makers of Indian Literature , which consist of biographical monographs on Indian writers, and Histories of Indian Literature , 18 of which have been published thus far. It publish two journal: Indian Literature (started in 1957) in English, and Samakaleen Bharatiya Sahitya (started in 1980) in Hindi. In 1987, it published a book ( Bulhe Shah: Volume 141 ) on the life of Bulleh Shah (authored by Surindar Singh Kohli). The Sahitya Akademi holds over 100 programmes related to Indian literature every year across India. It holds frequent seminars on Indian literature, as well as translation workshops. In addition, it holds several regular and annual events, including
2880-692: The Makers of Indian Literature , which consist of biographical monographs on Indian writers, and Histories of Indian Literature , 18 of which have been published thus far. It publish two journal: Indian Literature (started in 1957) in English, and Samakaleen Bharatiya Sahitya (started in 1980) in Hindi. In 1987, it published a book ( Bulhe Shah: Volume 141 ) on the life of Bulleh Shah (authored by Surindar Singh Kohli). The Sahitya Akademi holds over 100 programmes related to Indian literature every year across India. It holds frequent seminars on Indian literature, as well as translation workshops. In addition, it holds several regular and annual events, including
2976-593: The Lok Sabha in August 2011 states, "It was felt that most of these institutions were not able to live up to the original mandates set out by their founding fathers. Controversies of different kind involving these institutions that keep cropping up from time to time, had caught this Committee’s attention. Questions were also raised about the indifference and helplessness shown by the Ministry of Culture to do anything in
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3072-429: The Lok Sabha in August 2011 states, "It was felt that most of these institutions were not able to live up to the original mandates set out by their founding fathers. Controversies of different kind involving these institutions that keep cropping up from time to time, had caught this Committee’s attention. Questions were also raised about the indifference and helplessness shown by the Ministry of Culture to do anything in
3168-624: The 24 languages that it supports. Amongst other things, it publishes the National Bibliography of Indian Literature (NBIL), an ongoing selective index of publications in 24 languages. The first series of the NBIL consisted of four volumes, spanning literature published between 1901 and 1953. The Sahitya Akademi has stated that the second series will cover literature published between 1954 and 2000. The second series will consist of 16 volumes, of which seven have been published. In addition,
3264-500: The 24 languages that it supports. Amongst other things, it publishes the National Bibliography of Indian Literature (NBIL), an ongoing selective index of publications in 24 languages. The first series of the NBIL consisted of four volumes, spanning literature published between 1901 and 1953. The Sahitya Akademi has stated that the second series will cover literature published between 1954 and 2000. The second series will consist of 16 volumes, of which seven have been published. In addition,
3360-519: The Akademi confers through a system of electing Fellows and Honorary Fellows . (Sahitya Akademi Award is the second-highest literary honor next to a Sahitya Akademi Fellowship). Sahitya Akademy gives these special awards to writers for significant contribution to Indian languages other than the above 24 major ones and also for contributions to classical and medieval literature. Like the Sahitya Akademi Awards, Bhasha Samman too comprise
3456-552: The Akademi in a commemorative volume. A second International seminar on the same theme was held in New Delhi in 1981. International Seminars have since been held to mark the birth centenary of Hindi-language writer Premchand , in 1981; to mark the birth centenary of Tamil-language poet Subramania Bharti in 1983; on the Mahabharata , in 1987; and on 'the Narrative' in 1990. The Sahitya Akademi's Annual Festival of Letters
3552-436: The Akademi in a commemorative volume. A second International seminar on the same theme was held in New Delhi in 1981. International Seminars have since been held to mark the birth centenary of Hindi-language writer Premchand , in 1981; to mark the birth centenary of Tamil-language poet Subramania Bharti in 1983; on the Mahabharata , in 1987; and on 'the Narrative' in 1990. The Sahitya Akademi's Annual Festival of Letters
3648-818: The Akademi organised a second International Seminar on Tagore in collaboration with the Sangeet Natak Akademi , the Lalit Kala Akademi and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations . The Akademi's second International Seminar in 1975 was also held in New Delhi and focused on the Ramayana tradition in Asia. Participants, including U Thein Han, Soewito Santoso, Harry M. Buck, C.E. Godakumbra, Kapila Vatsyayan, Camille Bulke and Umashankar Joshi, presented 44 papers on Ramayana traditions, which were published by
3744-522: The Akademi organised a second International Seminar on Tagore in collaboration with the Sangeet Natak Akademi , the Lalit Kala Akademi and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations . The Akademi's second International Seminar in 1975 was also held in New Delhi and focused on the Ramayana tradition in Asia. Participants, including U Thein Han, Soewito Santoso, Harry M. Buck, C.E. Godakumbra, Kapila Vatsyayan, Camille Bulke and Umashankar Joshi, presented 44 papers on Ramayana traditions, which were published by
3840-475: The Akademi panels to be on the watch for a literary force on the upward curve and catch it at the moment before it starts going downwards. Panels change from year to year and they have to select not literary men but literary works which are adjudged to be the best among the publications of a particular period." In 1998, Gujarati writer Jayant Kothari also declined the Sahitya Akademi Award on
3936-430: The Akademi's supported languages, as nominated by the General Council. The finance committee's role is to prescribe the limit for total expenditure by the Sahitya Akademi in a financial year, and consider and recommend budget estimates to the executive board. The finance committee consists of a financial advisor, a nominee from the Government of India, a representative each from the General Council and Executive Board, and
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4032-430: The Akademi's supported languages, as nominated by the General Council. The finance committee's role is to prescribe the limit for total expenditure by the Sahitya Akademi in a financial year, and consider and recommend budget estimates to the executive board. The finance committee consists of a financial advisor, a nominee from the Government of India, a representative each from the General Council and Executive Board, and
4128-541: The Award for his collection of short stories in Marathi , Kajal Maya, because a controversy had arisen regarding the date of publication of the book and its consequent eligibility for the Award. In 1969, Swami Anand declined the Award for contributions to Gujarati literature on the grounds that his religious beliefs precluded him from accepting any pecuniary benefits for public services. In 1981, Telugu writer V. R. Narla
4224-412: The Award on the grounds that his book, Chintayami Manasa , did not, in his opinion, deserve the Award, and also expressed the opinion that the Award was generally granted to authors who were "spent forces". This provoked a response from the then-President of the Akademi, Vinayaka Krishna Gokak , who said, concerning the awards that, "It is not possible to generalise on the basis of age. Nor can we expect
4320-479: The Awards, although it noted that translations made directly from the original language would always be preferred. In 1985, the Akademi also held that joint translations would be eligible, and in 1997, it dispensed with the process of advertising for nominations and replaced it with invitations for recommendations from advisory boards and Committee members. As of 2006, 268 prizes have been awarded to 256 translators. On
4416-497: The Government. Some of these suggestions were incorporated, and the Akademi was constituted as a society under the Societies Registration Act of 1860 , as it had not originally been incorporated by an Act of Parliament, but by an executive order. The council was reconstituted and elected Prime Minister Nehru as its president, and he continued in that capacity until his death in 1964. Subsequent presidents of
4512-418: The Government. Some of these suggestions were incorporated, and the Akademi was constituted as a society under the Societies Registration Act of 1860 , as it had not originally been incorporated by an Act of Parliament, but by an executive order. The council was reconstituted and elected Prime Minister Nehru as its president, and he continued in that capacity until his death in 1964. Subsequent presidents of
4608-463: The President of an organisation which includes it in its fold the eminent writers of India in various languages. As President of that Akademi I may tell you quite frankly, I would not like the Prime Minister to interfere in my work." The first Council made recommendations to amend the Akademi's governing constitution, including proposals to have the chairman elected by the council and not appointed by
4704-406: The President of an organisation which includes it in its fold the eminent writers of India in various languages. As President of that Akademi I may tell you quite frankly, I would not like the Prime Minister to interfere in my work." The first Council made recommendations to amend the Akademi's governing constitution, including proposals to have the chairman elected by the council and not appointed by
4800-674: The Sahitya Akademi has published the Collected Works of Maulana Azad in Urdu and Telugu, and critical editions of books by Kalidasa , Bankimchandra Chatterjee , and Rabindranath Tagore . The Sahitya Akademi maintains reference materials for Indian literature, including the National Register of Translators, the Who's Who of Indian Writers, and the Who's Who of Sanskrit literature. Two ongoing series of reference material are
4896-442: The Sahitya Akademi has published the Collected Works of Maulana Azad in Urdu and Telugu, and critical editions of books by Kalidasa , Bankimchandra Chatterjee , and Rabindranath Tagore . The Sahitya Akademi maintains reference materials for Indian literature, including the National Register of Translators, the Who's Who of Indian Writers, and the Who's Who of Sanskrit literature. Two ongoing series of reference material are
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#17327655894134992-462: The Sahitya Akademi have included S. Radhakrishnan (1958) who succeeded Jawaharlal Nehru after serving as the vice-president along with him; Zakir Hussain (1963); Suniti Kumar Chatterjee (1967); K.R. Srinivasa Iyengar (1969, and re-elected in 1973); Umashankar Joshi (1978); Vinayaka Krishna Gokak (1983); Birendra Kumar Bhattacharya (1988); U. R. Ananthamurthy (1993); Ramakanta Rath (1998); and Gopi Chand Narang (2003). Sunil Gangopadhyay
5088-462: The Sahitya Akademi have included S. Radhakrishnan (1958) who succeeded Jawaharlal Nehru after serving as the vice-president along with him; Zakir Hussain (1963); Suniti Kumar Chatterjee (1967); K.R. Srinivasa Iyengar (1969, and re-elected in 1973); Umashankar Joshi (1978); Vinayaka Krishna Gokak (1983); Birendra Kumar Bhattacharya (1988); U. R. Ananthamurthy (1993); Ramakanta Rath (1998); and Gopi Chand Narang (2003). Sunil Gangopadhyay
5184-687: The Sahitya Akademi include the Mulakat lectures, a special platform for lesser-known authors; the Through My Window lectures, in which one author speaks on the works of another Indian author; and the Loka programmes on Indian folklore and the Kavisandhi poetry readings. There have been widespread allegations of corruption and controversial appointments under the presidency of Gopi Chand Narang who headed Sahitya Akademi from 2003 to 2007 and
5280-454: The Sahitya Akademi include the Mulakat lectures, a special platform for lesser-known authors; the Through My Window lectures, in which one author speaks on the works of another Indian author; and the Loka programmes on Indian folklore and the Kavisandhi poetry readings. There have been widespread allegations of corruption and controversial appointments under the presidency of Gopi Chand Narang who headed Sahitya Akademi from 2003 to 2007 and
5376-420: The Sahitya Akademi without availing a single day's leave, are fake and fraudulent. Appeals by the writers community to the Ministry of Culture to launch an inquiry have not yielded any result. It has been alleged time and again that the procedure of nomination of litterateurs for the coveted Sahitya Akademi Awards is not transparent. The ground-list of books (from which the jury members make two short-lists and
5472-420: The Sahitya Akademi without availing a single day's leave, are fake and fraudulent. Appeals by the writers community to the Ministry of Culture to launch an inquiry have not yielded any result. It has been alleged time and again that the procedure of nomination of litterateurs for the coveted Sahitya Akademi Awards is not transparent. The ground-list of books (from which the jury members make two short-lists and
5568-515: The Sahitya Akademi, done during Gopi Chand Narang 's time, continue unchallenged to this day. Khurshid Alam and Mrignayani Gupta, both dismissed in 2004 for presenting counterfeit degree certificates, have made a backdoor entry and have been subsequently promoted to higher positions. There have been widespread allegations in the Hindi press that the certificates of the current secretary, K. Sreenivasa Rao, who completed his M.Phil. and PhD degrees while being employed as deputy secretary (administration) at
5664-515: The Sahitya Akademi, done during Gopi Chand Narang 's time, continue unchallenged to this day. Khurshid Alam and Mrignayani Gupta, both dismissed in 2004 for presenting counterfeit degree certificates, have made a backdoor entry and have been subsequently promoted to higher positions. There have been widespread allegations in the Hindi press that the certificates of the current secretary, K. Sreenivasa Rao, who completed his M.Phil. and PhD degrees while being employed as deputy secretary (administration) at
5760-1352: The award. To show their condemnation Deshpande, K Satchidanandan, PK Parakkadvu and Aravind Malagatti have also resigned their posts at the Sahitya Akademi institution. The recipients who announced to return the awards include: Ajmer Singh Aulakh (Punjabi), Ambika Dutt (Hindi), Anil R. Joshi (Gujarati), Ashok Vajpeyi (Hindi), Atamjit Singh (Punjabi), Baldev Singh Sadaknama (Punjabi), Bhoopal Reddy (Telugu), Chaman Lal (Hindi), Darshan Buttar (Punjabi), Ganesh Devy (Gujarati/English), Ghulam Nabi Khayal (Kashmiri), GN Ranganatha Rao (Kannada), Gurbachan Singh Bhullar (Punjabi), Homen Borgohain (Assamese) Jaswinder Singh (Punjabi), K. Katyayani Vidhmahe (Telugu), Kashi Nath Singh (Hindi), Keki N. Daruwalla (English), Krishna Sobti (Hindi), Kumbar Veerabhadrappa (Kannada), Mandakranta Sen (Bengali), Manglesh Dabral (Hindi), Marghoob Banihali (Kashmiri), Mohan Bhandari (Punjabi), Munawwar Rana (Urdu), Nand Bhardwaj (Rajasthani), Nayantara Sahgal (English), Nirupama Borgohain (Assamese), Rahman Abbas (Urdu), Rahamat Tarikere (Kannada), Rajesh Joshi (Hindi), Sarah Joseph (Malayalam), Srinath DN (Kannada), Surjit Patar (Punjabi), Uday Prakash (Hindi), and Waryam Singh Sandhu (Punjabi). Sahitya Akademi The Sahitya Akademi , India 's National Academy of Letters,
5856-452: The development of their respective languages. Awards for translations were instituted in 1989 at the insistence of then-Prime Minister of India, P. V. Narasimha Rao . The Sahitya Akademi annually gives these awards for outstanding translations of major works in other languages into one of the 24 major Indian languages. The awards comprise a plaque and a cash prize of ₹50,0000. The initial proposal for translation prizes contained provisions for
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#17327655894135952-503: The face of autonomy enjoyed by these institutions." The committee also urged Sahitya Akademi to adopt the recommendation of the Haksar Committee (1988) of having its head appointed by the president of India, a practice followed by Sangeet Natak and Lalit Kala Akademies, to avoid "the inevitable complications of the existing system of elections." Many controversial appointments of unqualified candidates to key positions at
6048-437: The face of autonomy enjoyed by these institutions." The committee also urged Sahitya Akademi to adopt the recommendation of the Haksar Committee (1988) of having its head appointed by the president of India, a practice followed by Sangeet Natak and Lalit Kala Akademies, to avoid "the inevitable complications of the existing system of elections." Many controversial appointments of unqualified candidates to key positions at
6144-585: The fellowship was started in 1996. It is given to scholars from Asian countries to spend three to twelve months in India to pursue a literary project. Named after Hindi and Urdu writer Premchand , the fellowship was started in 2005. It is given to persons of eminence in the field of Culture from SAARC countries. Notable awardees include Intizar Hussain , Selina Hossain , Yasmine Gooneratne , Jean Arasanayagam and Kishwar Naheed . The Akademi has seen several instances of Awards being returned or declined as an act of protest. In 1973, G.A. Kulkarni returned
6240-484: The final selection for the award) is supposed to be made by the General Council. But the books are provided to this council by the bureaucrats and employees of the Akademi who are allegedly unqualified to make any kind of literary selection. Though the award regulations makes the recommendations of the Language Advisory Board mandatory, the recommendations of the board are often dismissed and ignored by
6336-408: The final selection for the award) is supposed to be made by the General Council. But the books are provided to this council by the bureaucrats and employees of the Akademi who are allegedly unqualified to make any kind of literary selection. Though the award regulations makes the recommendations of the Language Advisory Board mandatory, the recommendations of the board are often dismissed and ignored by
6432-455: The following 24 languages, 22 of which are included in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India , alongside English and Rajasthani : Assamese , Bengali , Bodo , Dogri , English , Gujarati , Hindi , Kannada , Kashmiri , Konkani , Maithili , Malayalam , Manipuri , Marathi , Nepali , Odia , Punjabi , Rajasthani , Sanskrit , Santhali , Sindhi , Tamil , Telugu , Urdu . The recognition of languages by Sahitya Akademi
6528-455: The following 24 languages, 22 of which are included in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India , alongside English and Rajasthani : Assamese , Bengali , Bodo , Dogri , English , Gujarati , Hindi , Kannada , Kashmiri , Konkani , Maithili , Malayalam , Manipuri , Marathi , Nepali , Odia , Punjabi , Rajasthani , Sanskrit , Santhali , Sindhi , Tamil , Telugu , Urdu . The recognition of languages by Sahitya Akademi
6624-514: The grounds that he had made a religious vow that precluded his acceptance of any competitive award, prize or position. In 1991, Jagannatha Prasad Das , who was given the Award for his poetry in Odia declined for 'personal reasons'. In 1996, T. Padmanabhan , who was given the Award for a book of short stories in Malayalam , declined on the grounds that the Akademi had not shown interest in supporting
6720-606: The invited author followed by an open session of questions and discussions. 'Meet the Author' programmes have been conducted in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, and Bengaluru. Over 180 authors have participated to date. To complement this, the Sahitya Akademi has held a parallel lecture series titled 'Men in Books' in which the Akademi invites persons distinguished for interdisciplinary studies to speak about literature. Notable speakers in
6816-449: The invited author followed by an open session of questions and discussions. 'Meet the Author' programmes have been conducted in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, and Bengaluru. Over 180 authors have participated to date. To complement this, the Sahitya Akademi has held a parallel lecture series titled 'Men in Books' in which the Akademi invites persons distinguished for interdisciplinary studies to speak about literature. Notable speakers in
6912-478: The lecture was delivered by Girish Karnad , a Kannada playwright and author. The most recent lecture was delivered by Chandrashekhar Shankar Dharmadhikari , an author, lawyer, and former judge in the Bombay High Court on 17 February 2016. The Sahitya Akademi organises regular public interactions with published Indian authors. These sessions, titled 'Meet the Author' consist of a 40-minute lecture by
7008-411: The lecture was delivered by Girish Karnad , a Kannada playwright and author. The most recent lecture was delivered by Chandrashekhar Shankar Dharmadhikari , an author, lawyer, and former judge in the Bombay High Court on 17 February 2016. The Sahitya Akademi organises regular public interactions with published Indian authors. These sessions, titled 'Meet the Author' consist of a 40-minute lecture by
7104-473: The occasion of its Golden Jubilee, Sahitya Akademi awarded the following prizes for outstanding works of poetry in translation from Indian languages. The Golden Jubilee Prizes for Life Time Achievement and young achievers were awarded to Namdeo Dhasal , Ranjit Hoskote , Mandakranta Sen , Abdul Rasheed , Sithara S. and Neelakshi Singh . Named after the Ceylon Tamil writer Ananda Coomaraswamy ,
7200-628: The officials without citing any reason. This lack of transparency and rigour in the selection process has resulted in a lot of controversy. It has even resulted in writers being forced to return the award when it has been proven that the selection procedure was fraudulent, as was the case with the Sahitya Akademi award for a translation into Odia in 1999. Sahitya Akademi is also highly criticized by writers such as Khushwant Singh for ignoring eminent writers and awarding below-par writers and sub-standard literary works. Sahitya Akademi The Sahitya Akademi , India 's National Academy of Letters,
7296-500: The past have included film-maker Adoor Gopalakrishnan , journalist Dilip Padgaonkar, lawyer Laxmi Mall Singhvi , and former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee . The Kavi Anuvadak programmes, started in 2001, consist of a live performance of poetry in the original language and in translation. Nine Kavi Anuvadaks have been held to date, featuring, amongst others, K. Satchidanandan , Manglesh Dabral , and Ayyappa Paniker . Sahitya Akademi Award ( Devnagari : साहित्य अकादमी पुरस्कार)
7392-500: The past have included film-maker Adoor Gopalakrishnan , journalist Dilip Padgaonkar, lawyer Laxmi Mall Singhvi , and former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee . The Kavi Anuvadak programmes, started in 2001, consist of a live performance of poetry in the original language and in translation. Nine Kavi Anuvadaks have been held to date, featuring, amongst others, K. Satchidanandan , Manglesh Dabral , and Ayyappa Paniker . Sahitya Akademi Award ( Devnagari : साहित्य अकादमी पुरस्कार)
7488-476: The plaque was substituted with national savings bonds. Lists of Sahitya Akademi Award winners cover winners of the Sahitya Akademi Award , a literary honor in India which Sahitya Akademi , India's National Academy of Letters, annually confers on writers of outstanding works in one of the twenty-four major Indian languages. The lists are organized by language. They form the highest honor which
7584-472: The president Vishwanath Prasad Tiwari. Agrahara Krishnamurthy, appointed as the Secretary of Sahitya Akademi by Narang, had undergone a CBI probe in a paper purchase scam at the time of his appointment, and was censured and forced to retire after being accused of financial irregularities in 2012. Agrahara Krishnamurthy who has been granted relief by the High Court has alleged a conspiracy against him by
7680-413: The president Vishwanath Prasad Tiwari. Agrahara Krishnamurthy, appointed as the Secretary of Sahitya Akademi by Narang, had undergone a CBI probe in a paper purchase scam at the time of his appointment, and was censured and forced to retire after being accused of financial irregularities in 2012. Agrahara Krishnamurthy who has been granted relief by the High Court has alleged a conspiracy against him by
7776-429: The purpose of the Sahitya Akademi in his speech, noting that, "The phrase, Sahitya Akademi, combines two words. 'Sahitya' is Sanskrit, and 'Academy' is Greek. This name suggests our universal outlook and aspiration. Sahitya is a literary composition; Academy is an assembly of men who are interested in the subject. So Sahitya Akademi will be an assembly of all those who are interested in creative and critical literature. It
7872-429: The purpose of the Sahitya Akademi in his speech, noting that, "The phrase, Sahitya Akademi, combines two words. 'Sahitya' is Sanskrit, and 'Academy' is Greek. This name suggests our universal outlook and aspiration. Sahitya is a literary composition; Academy is an assembly of men who are interested in the subject. So Sahitya Akademi will be an assembly of all those who are interested in creative and critical literature. It
7968-622: The short story form, although he noted that he was grateful to the Akademi for the honour. As of 2015, the award has been returned by many writers for various reasons. 38 recipients had announced their returning of the award in protest of the "rising intolerance in India" under the Modi government as also the murder of author M M Kalburgi and the Dadri lynching incident . Among others, Ajmer Aulakh, Aman Sethi , Ganesh Devy , Kum Veerabhadrappa and Shashi Deshpande have publicly announced their return of
8064-493: The translations and also ruled that it was not obligated to grant prizes in languages where suitable books were not nominated. The Akademi also requires that both, the original author as well as the translator, are to be Indian nationals. Over time, the Akademi has modified and expanded the conditions for the Translation Prizes. In 1982, the Akademi began to allow translations made in link languages to be eligible for
8160-639: The vice-president of the Akademi. The accounts of the Sahitya Akademi are audited by the Auditor General of India. The Sahitya Akademi publishes several regular publications, in addition to its bi-monthly literary journals, Indian Literature and Samkaleen Bhartiya Sahitya . It undertakes bibliographic surveys, conducts translation workshops, seminars, and an annual festival of letters. The Sahitya Akademi publishes bibliographies, compilations, and critical editions in addition to publishing individual works and anthologies of literature and translation in
8256-574: The vice-president of the Akademi. The accounts of the Sahitya Akademi are audited by the Auditor General of India. The Sahitya Akademi publishes several regular publications, in addition to its bi-monthly literary journals, Indian Literature and Samkaleen Bhartiya Sahitya . It undertakes bibliographic surveys, conducts translation workshops, seminars, and an annual festival of letters. The Sahitya Akademi publishes bibliographies, compilations, and critical editions in addition to publishing individual works and anthologies of literature and translation in
8352-503: The visual arts, performing arts, and letters. The independent Government of India carried out this proposal, constituting a National Academy of Letters, called the 'Sahitya Akademi' by a government resolution on 15 December 1952. The first General Council of the Akademi included members such as Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan , Abul Kalam Azad , C. Rajagopalachari , K. M. Panikkar , K.M. Munshi , Zakir Husain , Umashankar Joshi , Mahadevi Varma , D. V. Gundappa , Ramdhari Singh Dinkar , and
8448-503: The visual arts, performing arts, and letters. The independent Government of India carried out this proposal, constituting a National Academy of Letters, called the 'Sahitya Akademi' by a government resolution on 15 December 1952. The first General Council of the Akademi included members such as Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan , Abul Kalam Azad , C. Rajagopalachari , K. M. Panikkar , K.M. Munshi , Zakir Husain , Umashankar Joshi , Mahadevi Varma , D. V. Gundappa , Ramdhari Singh Dinkar , and
8544-503: Was constituted by the Government of India by a resolution passed on 15 December 1952. It was formally inaugurated on 12 March 1954. It initially functioned under executive order, but was subsequently registered as a society under the Indian Societies Registration Act, 1860. The constitution of the Sahitya Akademi provides that it shall be run by three authorities — a General Council, an Executive Board, and
8640-414: Was constituted by the Government of India by a resolution passed on 15 December 1952. It was formally inaugurated on 12 March 1954. It initially functioned under executive order, but was subsequently registered as a society under the Indian Societies Registration Act, 1860. The constitution of the Sahitya Akademi provides that it shall be run by three authorities — a General Council, an Executive Board, and
8736-450: Was elected president in 2008, and held office until his death in 2012. Vishwanath Prasad Tiwari served as president from 2013 to 2018. The Akademi has never elected a female president although, Mahasweta Devi in 2003 and Pratibha Ray in 2018 unsuccessfully contested against Gopi Chand Narang and Chandrashekar Kambara respectively for the position. The logo of Sahitya Akademi was designed by Satyajit Ray . The Sahitya Akademi
8832-450: Was elected president in 2008, and held office until his death in 2012. Vishwanath Prasad Tiwari served as president from 2013 to 2018. The Akademi has never elected a female president although, Mahasweta Devi in 2003 and Pratibha Ray in 2018 unsuccessfully contested against Gopi Chand Narang and Chandrashekar Kambara respectively for the position. The logo of Sahitya Akademi was designed by Satyajit Ray . The Sahitya Akademi
8928-461: Was given the Sahitya Akademi Award for his play, Sita Josyam , but returned it on the grounds that the Akademi had allowed an adverse review of the play to be published in their journal, Indian Literature . In 1982, Deshbandhu Dogra Natan was given the Sahitya Akademi award for his Dogri novel, Qaidi ('Prisoner') but returned it on the grounds that he should have received the Award much earlier. In 1983, Gujarati writer Suresh Joshi also returned
9024-603: Was presided over by the then-Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru . The Government of India clarified that the choice of Prime Minister Nehru as the first chairperson was "not because he is Prime Minister, but because he has carved out for himself a distinctive place as a writer and author." The Sahitya Akademi was formally inaugurated on 12 March 1954 in New Delhi. A ceremony was held in the Indian Parliament 's Central Hall, with speeches by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan . Radhakrishnan elaborated on
9120-536: Was presided over by the then-Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru . The Government of India clarified that the choice of Prime Minister Nehru as the first chairperson was "not because he is Prime Minister, but because he has carved out for himself a distinctive place as a writer and author." The Sahitya Akademi was formally inaugurated on 12 March 1954 in New Delhi. A ceremony was held in the Indian Parliament 's Central Hall, with speeches by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan . Radhakrishnan elaborated on
9216-534: Was ₹25,000 at the time of inception, increased to ₹40,000 from 2001, ₹50,000 from 2003 and to ₹1,00,000 from 2009. The Sammans are given to 3-4 persons every year in different languages on the basis of recommendations of experts' committees constituted for the purpose. The first Bhasha Sammans were awarded in to Dharikshan Mishra for Bhojpuri , Bansi Ram Sharma and M.R. Thakur for Pahari (Himachali), K. Jathappa Rai and Mandara Keshava Bhat for Tulu and Chandra Kanta Mura Singh for Kokborok , for their contribution to
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