Literary award · India

Yuva Puraskar

Literary honour in India.

About Yuva Puraskar

The Yuva Puraskar, also known as Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar, is an annual literary award conferred by Sahitya Akademi on young writers of outstanding works in 24 Indian languages. Instituted in 2011, it recognises writers under 35, with the aim of encouraging and promoting young writers. The award comprises a cash prize of ₹50,000 and an engraved copper plaque. It is usually announced alongside Bal Sahitya Puraskar.

From the Wikipedia article “Yuva Puraskar”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Recent winners

YearWinnerWinning work
2104Raju Ram Bijarniyan 'Raj'—
2025Subrat Kumar Senapati—
2024Sanjay Kumar Panda—
2023Hamiruddin Middya—
2022Dillip Kumar Behera—
2021Kuna Hansda—
2020Chandra Shekhar Hota—
2019Sisir Behera—
2018Varnit Rasa—
2018Vyasanasamuchayam—
2018Loubukki Manam—
2018Fesati—
20181986—
2018Sosa—
2018Balora—

From Wikidata; the list may be incomplete for some years.

Eligibility and entering

Check the official rules of the Yuva Puraskar for the current eligibility window, accepted formats, residency or language requirements and any entry fee. For most established prizes the publisher submits on the author's behalf, often with a limit on entries per imprint.

If you are self-published, look for an explicit statement that independently published books are accepted, and budget for entry fees and copies for judges.

Sources & data