For its comprehensive contribution to literary life,Amar Ujala’s highest Shabd Samman for 2025, the ‘Akashdeep’ Award, will be conferred on eminent Hindi short-story writer Mamta Kalia in Hindi, and on renowned Manipuri author Arambam Ongbi Memchoubi in the category of non-Hindi Indian languages.
It is noteworthy that the United Nations declared 1975 as the International Women’s Year. 2025 marks its Golden Jubilee year, and 2026 has also been dedicated by the UN to women’s contributions to agriculture. In this light, honoring these two women creators lends the award a special distinction.
The honor includes a cash prize of ₹500,000 each, a citation, and a Ganga sculpture as a symbol.
Arambam Ongbi Memchoubi, who has made an exceptional contribution in Manipuri through her prolific writing to postcolonial thought and women’s identity, was born as Dr. Thounaojam Chanu Ibemhal. Born on January 1, 1957, and known for her focused work on Meitei myths, she is a powerful voice in the contemporary Manipuri literary landscape.
Selected for the highest Hindi honor, the Akashdeep Award, Mamta Kalia, born on November 2, 1940, carved a new path through her writing amid the early waves of feminism. She has produced more than a dozen notable works and is known for giving a strong voice to the complexities of the middle class and the struggle for women’s identity.
Under Akashdeep, besides Hindi, Kannada, Marathi, Bengali, Odia, Malayalam, and Gujarati have previously been honored; Manipuri has been chosen this year. Among non-Hindi Indian languages, recipients have included Girish Karnad, Bhalchandra Nemade, Shankha Ghosh, Pratibha Ray, M.T. Vasudevan Nair, and Sitanshu Yashaschandra; in Hindi, Namvar Singh, Gyanranjan, Vishwanath Tripathi, Shekhar Joshi, Vinod Kumar Shukla, and Govind Mishra have received theAkashdeepAward.
Best Work Awards to savita singh, Naish Hasan, shahadat, sujata shiven, and Manish Yadav
Under the Amar Ujala shabd samman–25, the awards for the best Hindi works published in 2024 have also been announced.
In the ‘Chhap’(Poetry) category, savita singh’s collection “Vaasna Ek Nadi Ka Naam Hai” (Desire Is the Name of a River) has been selected as the Best Work.
In the Non-Fiction category, Naish Hasan’s work “Mutah” has been chosen.
In the Fiction category, shahadat’s short-story collection “Curfew Ki Raat” (The Night of the Curfew) will receive the Best Work Award.
For Indian-language translations, the Bhasha-BandhuAward will be given to sujata shiven for the Hindi translation of “Charu Chivar aur Charya” (original Odia work by Pradeep Dash).
The ‘Thaap’Award, given for an author’s first book, will be awarded to Manish Yadav for “Sudhaargrih Ki Malikainen” (The Women Who Run the Reformatory).
These honors include a cash prize of ₹100,000 each, a citation, and a Ganga sculpture as a symbol.
