19th June 2025: The Central Sahitya Akademi has announced the prestigious Youth and Bal Sahitya (Children’s Literature) Awards for 2025 across 23 and 24 languages respectively, including Odia. The announcement was made during the Akademi’s executive meeting held recently.
In the Odia language category, writer Subrat Kumar Senapati has been awarded the Youth Award for his short story collection Kadambavan. This collection, published in 2023, contains 15 stories including notable ones such as Khuchura, Basna, Dayada, Sirshasukha, and Devi Darshan. Senapati’s earlier work Nishiddhavan had also brought him recognition. Besides the Akademi’s award, he has received several accolades like the Katha Navpratibha Award (2012), Srujanjhara Short Story Honor, and Brahmapur Sahitya Parishad Youth Award.
For Children’s Literature, the Bal Sahitya Award in Odia has gone to renowned poet Dr. Rajkishore Padhi for his poetry collection Kete Phula Phutichi, first published in 2023. The award carries a citation, a copper plaque, and a cash prize of ₹50,000.
Both awards were decided by specially constituted expert committees for each language. For Odia, the Youth Award committee included eminent writers Yashodhara Mishra, Ravi Swain, and Subhash Satapathy, while the Children’s Literature committee consisted of Professor Niladribhushan Harichandan, Shakuntala Balyarasingh, and Ramachandra Nayak.
Additionally, the Sahitya Akademi’s Youth Award for Santali language has been conferred on Fagu Baske from Mayurbhanj district for his poetry collection Aala Saa Enj. Baske is noted for his efforts in Santali literature and digital promotion of the language, including his role in Santali Wikipedia and as editor of the e-magazine Viramali.
Expressing his joy on receiving the award, Subrat Senapati shared that the honor encourages him to deepen his literary commitment. Rajkishore Padhi reflected on the significance of reader engagement and originality in writing, emphasizing the inspiration drawn from recognition but the ultimate joy of writing itself.
These awards highlight the vibrancy and richness of regional literature in India and provide encouragement to young writers and poets dedicated to nurturing their mother tongues.