Jnanpith winners for 2021 announced: Why is this award so prestigious?
The winners of 2021 Jnanpith have been declared recently. This year’s Assamese poet, Nilmani Phookan Jr, the 56th recipient of the honour and famed Konkani novelist, Damodar Mauzo- the 57th recipient. Previous winner of the Sahitya Akademi Award, Mauzo is best known for his novels and short stories such as "Karmelin" and "Teresa’s Man" among others. Based in Goa, his books have been translated into numerous languages. Phookan, a revered poet, was also the recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award as well as the Padma Shree. Some of his most famous works include "Surya Henu Nami Ahe Ei Nodiyedi" and "Kobita." He is the third Assamese writer to win the Jnanpith award. Read on to know more about the significance and history of this award.
What is the Jnanpith award?
The Jnanpith Award is the oldest and highest honour in literature in the country. It is presented every year by the Bhartiya Jnanpith to recognise an author’s outstanding contribution to literature. The Bhartiya Jnanpith is a cultural organisation dedicated to literature and research. The award is a lifetime honour, and includes a citation plaque, a cash prize as well as a bronze replica of the Hindu goddess of knowledge and wisdom, Saraswati.
History of this award
The founder of the Bhartiya Jnanpith organisation, Sahu Shanti Prasad Jain, along with a few other associates decided to establish an honour to recognise outstanding work in the field of literature. The idea of the Jnanpith award hence arose. Although instituted in the year 1961, the first Jnanpith award was awarded in 1965 to Sankar Kurup, a Malyali poet. Earlier, this honour was reserved for Indian writers who wrote in the languages which were mentioned in the Constitution’s 8th schedule (along with English.)
How are the winners selected?
The winners are chosen by a Selection Board of seven to eleven highly reputed members. The Board takes into consideration nominations received from critics, literary experts, literary associations, universities, etc. There is also an advisory committee appointed for each language which assists the selection board in the decision-making process. An important rule in this process is that the preceding recipient’s language in which the work was written is ineligible for consideration through the next couple of years.