Delhi Government Renames Hindi Literary Awards After Nationalists and Freedom Fighters

Delhi's Hindi Academy has renamed several literary awards after nationalists and freedom fighters and introduced new honours to promote Hindi language, literature, and Indian knowledge traditions.

on Jun 12, 2026

Delhi Government Renames Hindi Literary Awards After Nationalists and Freedom Fighters

This has come about following the renaming of various literary awards by the Delhi government's Hindi Academy after renowned personalities such as nationalists, freedom fighters, and cultural figures, alongside creation of other awards geared towards enhancing Indian literary heritage.
This is amid efforts by the organization to make nominations for its literary award program titled 'Sahityakar Samman Yojna' for the period of 2022-23 to 2025-26 during which time, sixteen literary awards amounting to cash prices worth between ₹1 lakh and ₹7 lakh shall be awarded.
Founded in 1981, the Hindi Academy operates as an autonomous organization under the Delhi government with its mandate being promotion and preservation of Hindi literature and language.

Renaming of the Highest Honour
Among the most important amendments is that of the highest honour of the Hindi Academy, named Hindi Academy Shalaka Samman, which is to be renamed as the Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Shalaka Samman. It must be noted here that the amount of money awarded under this category has been raised from ₹5 lakh to ₹7 lakh, making it one of the most prestigious awards for the contribution to Hindi literature.
The other notable honour announced by the academy is that of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Bhartiya Sanskriti and Gyan Parampara Samman, comprising a cash award of ₹5 lakh.

Renaming and Introduction of New Awards
A number of awards have been renamed in honor of people related to literature and history.
Some of them are:
Rani Ahilyabai Holkar Award for women writers
Sant Ravidas Sahitya Samman
Veer Savarkar Samman for nurturing patriotism
Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya Hindi Sahityakar Samman
Baba Jorawar Singh Samman for children's writings
Swami Vivekanand Yuva Pratibha Samman for budding authors
Awards for people associated with journalism in Hindi press have been introduced by the name of Vidya Niwas Mishra Samman whereas Dr Vijay Kumar Malhotra Hindi Sewi Samman for those working in the field of Hindi literature.
Names of several other literary giants, including Nirmal Verma, Ramchandra Shukla, Vasudev Sharan Agrawal, Devendra Swaroop, Mridula Sinha and Narendra Kohli have also been included in the list of new literary awards in various fields of translation, folk literature, social science writing and multidisciplinary works.

Emphasis on the Development of Hindi Literature

The academy officials have mentioned that suggestions were being taken from all writers, poets, intellectuals, journalists, and literary societies present within the Delhi NCR belt. Authors writing in Hindi language along with people who have contributed towards the development of the same can be nominated by eligible candidates.
Applications for the present round of awards will remain open until June 23rd. It is a great opportunity to appreciate the achievements of people in various fields of Hindi literature and journalism.

Implications of the Change for the Literary World

The revision in the system of awards in Hindi Academy has shown a greater attempt of the academy to give more visibility to Hindi literature as well as the recognition of individuals responsible for its development. The award categories have been increased while the amount of prize money has also been raised.
These awards hold significance in the publishing and Hindi literature industry.