Deferral of Sahitya Akademi awards sparks controversy

A decision by the Sahitya Akademi to defer the announcement of its annual prestigious awards on Thursday sparked a controversy with the Opposition alleging interference by the government and the Union culture ministry saying as per a prior memorandum of understanding, prior approval was required.

- Vrinda Tulsian

The Akademi was to announce awards across multiple categories, including for overall literary contribution, translations and writing in various Indian languages, according to an official press invite by the Union ministry of culture.

To be sure, the postponement was not officially communicated but was instead told to reporters on the site a few minutes before the event was supposed to begin.