Sahitya Akademi — Set 4

Correct Answer: C. Academic Textbooks

• **Academic Textbooks** = These are not eligible for the main Sahitya Akademi Award, which is strictly for creative literature and literary criticism. • **1954** — The year the Sahitya Akademi was formally inaugurated to promote literary excellence. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Novels: These are a recognized category for the award; Short Stories: These are a recognized category for the award; Poetry: This is a recognized category for the award.

Correct Answer: C. Jawaharlal Nehru

• **Jawaharlal Nehru** = He was the first President of the Sahitya Akademi. • **1954 to 1964** — This period marks his tenure as the first President, establishing the institution's prestige. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Dr. Rajendra Prasad: He was the first President of India but not of Sahitya Akademi; Dr. S. Radhakrishnan: He was the second President of India but not the first President of Sahitya Akademi; Abul Kalam Azad: He was India's first Minister of Education but not the first President of Sahitya Akademi.

Correct Answer: A. 22

• **22** = This is the number of languages currently listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution. • **24 languages** — The Sahitya Akademi recognizes these (22 from the Eighth Schedule plus English and Rajasthani) for its annual awards. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: 18: This was an earlier number of languages in the Eighth Schedule but not the current one; 20: This is not the correct number of languages in the Eighth Schedule; 24: This is the total number of languages recognized by Sahitya Akademi, but only 22 are from the Eighth Schedule.

Correct Answer: B. Previous 3 years

• **Previous 3 years** = This is the duration of the 'publication period' usually considered for the annual Sahitya Akademi Award. • **2024 award** — For this, books published between 2020 and 2022 would be reviewed, allowing time to assess literary impact. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Previous 1 year: This period is too short to assess the literary impact of a work; Previous 5 years: This period is longer than the actual criterion set by the Akademi; Previous 10 years: This period is significantly longer than the Akademi's defined publication window.

Correct Answer: C. Centre for Tribal and Oral Literature

• **Centre for Tribal and Oral Literature** = This project focuses on preserving non-written literary traditions and documenting the folklore and oral histories of tribal groups. • **Oral traditions** — The center aims to document these traditions of non-literate communities, helping preserve endangered cultural knowledge. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Gramalok: This is not a known Sahitya Akademi project focused on oral traditions; Archives of Indian Literature: This project primarily deals with written literary works and documents; Bhasha Sangam: This is a government initiative for multilingual education, not specific to Sahitya Akademi's oral traditions project.

Correct Answer: C. Vikram Seth

• **Vikram Seth** = He is a famous author but has not served as the President of the Sahitya Akademi. • **Distinguished writers or scholars** — Presidents of the Sahitya Akademi are typically elected from this group by the General Council. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Suniti Kumar Chatterjee: He served as the President of Sahitya Akademi; U.R. Ananthamurthy: He served as the President of Sahitya Akademi; Gopalkrishna Gandhi: He also served as the President of Sahitya Akademi.

Correct Answer: D. Copper

• **Copper** = The Sahitya Akademi award plaque is made of this material. • **1,00,000 रुपये** — This is the current cash prize amount, which awardees receive along with the copper plaque and a shawl. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Gold-plated Steel: The plaque is not made of gold-plated steel; Silver: The plaque is not made of silver; Bronze: The plaque is not made of bronze.

Correct Answer: B. Women writers

• **Women writers** = The 'Nari Chetna' program of the Sahitya Akademi is dedicated to this group and their perspectives. • **Gender diversity** — The program helps promote this in the Indian literary scene by providing a platform for women to discuss gender-specific themes. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Child writers: The program does not specifically focus on child writers; Elderly poets: The program does not specifically focus on elderly poets; Tribal historians: The program does not specifically focus on tribal historians.

Correct Answer: A. Must have a script

• **Must have a script** = This is a general requirement for a language to be recognized by the Sahitya Akademi, along with a developed literary tradition. • **24 languages** — The Sahitya Akademi currently recognizes these for its awards, each with its own developed literary tradition. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Must be spoken by 1 crore people: There is no such specific population criterion for recognition; Must have an ancient history of 2000 years: There is no such specific historical duration criterion; Must be recognized by the state government: While state recognition can be a factor, it is not a primary or standalone requirement.

Correct Answer: C. Young writers

• **Young writers** = The Sahitya Akademi's 'Travel Grant' is provided to this category of people. • **Youth outreach initiatives** — The Travel Grant is a part of these Akademi initiatives, aiming to broaden cultural horizons and understanding of India's diversity. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Retired bureaucrats: The grant is not intended for retired bureaucrats; Foreign tourists: The grant is not for foreign tourists; Publishers: The grant is not specifically for publishers.