2020-03-12 Thu

The Sahitya Akademi aka India's National Academy of Letters was formally inaugurated by the Government of India on 12 March 1954. Sahitya Akademi is the central institution for literary dialogue, publication, and promotion in the country and the only institution that undertakes literary activities in 24 Indian languages, including English.

The proposal to establish a National Academy of letters in India had been under the consideration of the British Government of the country long before independence. In 1944, the Government of India accepted in principle a proposal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Bengal that a National Cultural trust should be set up to encourage cultural activities in all fields.

The Government of India decided to establish a National Academy of letters to be called Sahitya Akademi by its resolution No F-6-4/51G2(A) dated December 1952. Over the 64 years of its dynamic existence, it has ceaselessly endeavored to promote good taste and healthy reading habits, to keep alive the intimate dialogue among the various linguistic and literary zones and groups.

Akademi gives 24 awards annually to literary works in the languages it has recognized and an equal number of awards to literary translations from and into the languages of India. It also gives special awards called Bhasha Samman to a significant contribution to the languages not formally recognized by the Akademi as also for contribution to classical and medieval literature.

In the year 2004, the Department of Posts issued an Rs. 5 commemorative stamp on the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of Sahitya Academy. The stamp features a letter written in different scripts of India signifying the richness of Indian Literature.

Visit philamart to view and purchase variety of stamps from all over the world.