New Delhi, YNN: In a momentous decision that celebrates a lifetime of literary achievement, the Sahitya Akademi has conferred its highest honour, the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship, upon three eminent writers—Dr Pratibha Ray, Sri Lakhmi Khilani, and Sri Abdus Samad. The announcement was made on March 31, 2026, following the approval of the General Council at its meeting held the previous day. Reserved generally for the immortals of Indian literature, this rare fellowship represents the pinnacle of recognition from India’s foremost literary institution, which operates under the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. The honour will be bestowed upon the three recipients at a formal ceremony to be held at a later date.
Dr Pratibha Ray, a Padma Bhushan and Jnanpith awardee, is a towering figure in Odia literature, celebrated as a distinguished writer, scholar, and academician. With over fifty works to her credit, her illustrious career has been adorned with numerous accolades, including the Sahitya Akademi Award and the Sarala Award. Equally distinguished is Sri Lakhmi Khilani (Lakhmichand Bhiryomal Khilani), a prominent Sindhi fiction writer, playwright, translator, editor, and scholar whose body of work comprises more than two dozen published books and a vast array of articles; he is a recipient of both the Sahitya Akademi Award and the Sahitya Akademi Prize for Translation. Completing the trio is Sri Abdus Samad, an eminent Urdu writer and poet whose literary oeuvre includes over two dozen published works and who has been honoured with the Sahitya Akademi Award, the Ghalib Award, the Bharatiya Bhasha Parishad Award, and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Urdu Academy. With this fellowship, the Sahitya Akademi proudly acknowledges the enduring contributions of these three distinguished writers to the tapestry of Indian literature.
