Semmozhi Literary Award & Sahitya Akademi Award
Context
At the valedictory of Chennai International Book Fair 2026, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin announced a new national literary award.
He alleged political interference by the Union Ministry of Culture in the functioning of the Sahitya Akademi, citing cancellation of the Sahitya Akademi Awards 2025 announcement despite finalisation of the list.
Semmozhi Literary Award
Instituted by: Government of Tamil Nadu
Nature: Annual national literary award
Languages covered (7):
Tamil
Telugu
Kannada
Malayalam
Odia
Bengali
Marathi
Award money: ₹5 lakh per language, every year
Objective:
Promote Indian literary traditions beyond Hindi-centric platforms
Encourage inter-language literary recognition
Strengthen cultural federalism
Sahitya Akademi Award
Sahitya Akademi Award is one of India’s most prestigious literary honours.
It is conferred annually by the Sahitya Akademi, India’s National Academy of Letters.
Instituted: 1954.
Languages Covered
Awarded for outstanding literary works published in:
22 languages listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India,
English, and
Rajasthani (recognized separately by the Akademi).
Hence, awards are given language-wise, not genre-wise.
Nature of the Award
Components:
A plaque, and
Cash prize: ₹1,00,000.
Plaque design: Created by renowned filmmaker Satyajit Ray.
Earlier, plaques were sometimes made of marble, but this was discontinued due to excessive weight.
Selection Process
Awardees are selected annually for books of outstanding literary merit.
The selection cycle generally considers works published during the preceding 12 months.
Emphasis is on:
Literary quality,
Contribution to Indian literature,
Recognition of new trends and voices.
Historical Note
During the Indo-Pakistan War of 1965, the plaque was temporarily replaced with National Savings Bonds.
Related Awards by Sahitya Akademi
Sahitya Akademi Translation Prize – for notable translations.
Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar – for young writers.
Sahitya Akademi Bal Sahitya Puraskar – for children’s literature.
Prelims Pointers
Sahitya Akademi Award is not given for lifetime achievement (unlike Jnanpith).
It is awarded every year, language-wise.
English and Rajasthani are included in addition to Eighth Schedule languages.
The Akademi functions under the Government of India, but awards are decided by literary peers, not the government.
Prelims Practice MCQs
Q. With reference to the Sahitya Akademi Award, consider the following statements:
It is awarded for literary works published in all the languages listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India.
English and Rajasthani are also included for the purpose of this award.
The award is given for lifetime contribution to literature.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Correct answer: (a)
Explanation:
Statements 1 and 2 are correct. The Sahitya Akademi Award covers 22 Eighth Schedule languages, plus English and Rajasthani. Statement 3 is incorrect because the award is not for lifetime achievement; it is given for a specific literary work published in the preceding year(s).
Q. Which one of the following correctly describes the nature of the Sahitya Akademi Award?
(a) It is given for the best author of the year across all languages
(b) It is given language-wise for outstanding literary works
(c) It is given genre-wise such as poetry, drama, and fiction
(d) It is given only for original works in Hindi
Correct answer: (b)
Explanation:
The Sahitya Akademi Award is given language-wise, not across languages or genres. Each recognized language has its own award category.