Bhubaneswar, YNN (Rajat Bansal): The Sahitya Akademi yesterday hosted the prestigious Yuva Puraskar 2024 Presentation Ceremony at the Maharaja Krushna Chandra Gajapati Auditorium, Utkal University, Vani Vihar, Bhubaneswar, Odisha. The ceremony recognised 22 exceptional young writers across various Indian languages for their literary contributions.
The awards, presented by Sri Madhav Kaushik, President of the Sahitya Akademi, included an engraved copper plaque and a cheque of ₹50,000. Dr K. Sreenivasarao, Secretary of the Sahitya Akademi, read the citations for the awardees, while Professor Kumud Sharma, Vice President of the Akademi, felicitated them with bouquets.
This year’s awardees represent India’s linguistic diversity:
- Assamese: Nayanjyoti Sarma
- Bengali: Sutapa Chakraborty
- Bodo: Self Made Rani Baro
- Dogri: Heena Choudhary
- English: K. Vaishali
- Gujarati: Rinku Rathod
- Hindi: Gaurav Pandey
- Kannada: Shruthi B. R.
- Kashmiri: Mohd. Ashraf Ziya
- Konkani: Adwait Salgaonkar
- Maithili: Rinki Jha Rishika
- Malayalam: Shyamkrishnan R.
- Manipuri: Waikhom Chingkheinganba
- Marathi: Devidas Saudagar
- Nepali: Suraj Chapagain
- Odia: Sanjay Kumar Panda
- Punjabi: Randhir
- Rajasthani: Sonali Suthar
- Sanskrit: Muni Parshwasundera Vijayaji
- Santali: Anjan Karmakar
- Sindhi: Geeta Pradeep Rupani
- Tamil: Lokesh Raghuraman
- Telugu: Ramesh Karthik Nayak
- Urdu: Md. Javed Ahmad
Unfortunately, Mohd. Ashraf Ziya and Muni Parshwasundera Vijayaji were unable to attend the ceremony.
In his welcome speech, Dr K. Sreenivasarao underscored the role of young writers as custodians of language and literature. He also highlighted initiatives like Yuva Sahiti, Navodaya Prakalpa, and Travel Grant, which aim to provide platforms for emerging writers.
Sri Madhav Kaushik, in his presidential address, lauded young writers as the future of Indian literature and quoted Swami Vivekananda: “Arise, awake, and stop not till the goal is reached.” He emphasised the diversity of India’s linguistic landscape, unparalleled by any other country.
Chief Guest Jerry Pinto, an eminent English poet, highlighted the importance of translation in fostering connections between languages. He expressed gratitude for India’s rich literary heritage and encouraged young writers to utilise modern platforms such as book exhibitions and social media for their creative pursuits.
In her concluding remarks, Professor Kumud Sharma emphasised the need for guidance to help young writers channel their enthusiasm constructively. She also noted the significant role of youth in shaping the nation’s future and highlighted social media’s contribution to recognising new talent.
The event saw a large turnout of writers, scholars, and literature enthusiasts.
Upcoming Event:
Today, 13 January 2025, an Awardees’ Meet will be held at the Conference Hall of Buddha Mandir, Bhubaneswar, where the awardees will share their creative journeys and experiences.