Sahitya Akademi Awards 2025 Announced for 24 Indian Languages

Sahitya Akademi announced the Sahitya Akademi Awards 2025 for outstanding literary works in 24 Indian languages recognised by the institution. The awards cover multiple literary genres including poetry, novels, short stories, essays, memoirs, literary criticism, and autobiography. The annual awards recognise distinguished literary contributions published in the respective languages and selected through a multi-stage evaluation process involving expert juries.

Announcement and Selection Process

The selection process for the Sahitya Akademi Awards 2025 began in January 2025 following the release of a public advertisement on 30 January 2025 inviting nominations. Works published in the eligible period were considered across 24 recognised languages.

A panel of distinguished jury members evaluated the entries in each language. Their recommendations were subsequently approved by the competent authority of Sahitya Akademi before the final announcement. The award recognises literary merit across genres and linguistic diversity in Indian literature.

Distribution of Awards Across Genres

The 2025 awards honour 24 books across different literary forms. Poetry dominated the list with eight winning titles. Four novels and six collections of short stories were also recognised. The remaining awards include two essay collections, two memoirs, one autobiography, and one work of literary criticism.

Notable winners include “Crimson Spring”, a novel by Navtej Sarna in English, “Jeete Jee Allahabad”, a Hindi memoir by Mamta Kalia, and “Maayaamanushyar”, a Malayalam novel by N. Prabhakaran. Other award-winning works represent languages such as Bengali, Gujarati, Kashmiri, Telugu, Urdu, and Odia.

Language-Wise Highlights of Award-Winning Works

Among the poetry winners are “Shrestha Kabita” in Bengali by Prasun Bandyopadhyay, “Bhattkhadaki” in Gujarati by Yogesh Vaidya, and “Animesha” in Telugu by Nandini Sidha Reddy.

In the novel category, “Karhi Khelar Sadhu” by Devabrat Das won in Assamese, while Sahaisuli Brahma’s “Dwngnwi Lama Mwnse Gathwn” received the award in Bodo. Short story collections such as “Safety Kit” in Punjabi by Jinder and “Waghoo” in Sindhi by Bhagwan Atlani were also honoured.

Tamil author Sa. Tamilselvan received the award for literary criticism for “Thamiz Sirukathaiyin Thadangal”, while Raju Baviskar’s Marathi autobiography “Kalyanilya Resha” was also recognised.

What to Note for UPSC Prelims?

• Sahitya Akademi gives annual literary awards in 24 Indian languages recognised by the institution.
• The award consists of an engraved copper plaque, a shawl, and ₹1,00,000 prize money.
• Sahitya Akademi is India’s National Academy of Letters established in 1954.
• The 2025 award ceremony will be held on 31 March 2026 in New Delhi.

Award Ceremony and Recognition

Each awardee will receive a casket containing an engraved copper plaque, a ceremonial shawl, and prize money of ₹1,00,000. The awards will be presented during a formal ceremony scheduled for 31 March 2026 in New Delhi. The recognition highlights the diversity of Indian literary traditions and promotes literary excellence across regional languages.