The Sahitya Akademi on March 16, 2026, announced its annual awards for 2025, nearly three months after the process was put on hold. According to a report in The Hindu, the delay followed a directive from the Union Ministry of Culture regarding the restructuring of awards across autonomous cultural bodies.

In a statement, the Akademi said it is “happy to announce” the awards in 24 recognised languages, with eight poetry books, four novels, six short story collections, two essays, one literary criticism work, one autobiography and two memoirs being honoured.

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Notable winners across diverse categories

Among the notable winners, former diplomat Navtej Sarna received the award in English for Crimson Spring, while Mamta Kalia was recognised for her memoir Jeete Jee Allahabad. Tamil writer Sa Tamilselvan won in literary criticism for Thamiz Sirukathaiyin Thadangal. Other awardees include Prasun Bandyopadhyay, Yogesh Vaidya, Amresh Nugadoni, N. Prabhakaran, Raju Baviskar and Nandini Sidha Reddy, among others across languages.

Delay linked to restructuring directive

The awards were originally scheduled for December 2025 but were halted after the Union Ministry of Culture directed that no announcements be made without prior approval during an ongoing restructuring exercise. The directive referred to a Memorandum of Understanding signed in July 2025 with institutions such as the National School of Drama, Sangeet Natak Akademi, Lalit Kala Akademi and the Sahitya Akademi.

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The announcement restores momentum to India’s literary calendar, with awardees set to receive a plaque, shawl and ₹1 lakh at a ceremony on March 31, even as the broader restructuring process remains in focus.