Why is it in the news?

• Sahitya Akademi declares the annual awards for 2023.
• Recognizes exceptional books published between January 2017 and December 31, 2021.

About Sahitya Akademi Awards

• Instituted in 1954.
• Literary honor conferred annually by Sahitya Akademi.
• Recognizes outstanding books of literary merit in 24 major Indian languages.
• Awards given to books first published during the five years immediately preceding the year of the award.
• Aims to recognize and promote excellence in Indian writing while acknowledging emerging literary trends.
• Second-highest literary honor by the Government of India, following the Jnanpith award.

Other Sahitya Akademi Awards

• Sahitya Akademi Bal Sahitya Puraskar: Recognizing an author’s overall contribution to children’s literature.
• Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar: Applicable to books published by authors aged 35 and below.

 Criteria for Awardee

• Author must be an Indian national.
• The award is conferred to living writers and is not awarded posthumously.
• Eligible works must represent outstanding contributions to their respective language and literature.
• In case of equal merit, criteria such as overall literary contribution and the standing of authors are considered.