What was the theme of the Sahityotsav 2026 organised by the Sahitya Akademi under the Department of Culture, Government of India, from March 30 to April 4, 2026?
- (a)Festival of poetry
- (b)Festival of letters
- (c)Festival of story
- (d)Festival of folklore
This question was CANCELLED by the Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission. Its final answer key credits no option here, so every candidate received the mark regardless of what was marked — there is no official 'correct' letter to defend. What can be stated from the record: the Sahitya Akademi's own announcement bills its 2026 annual festival as the 'Festival of Letters 2026', held from 30 March to 4 April 2026 at the Rabindra Bhavan Lawns, New Delhi. 'Sahityotsav' is the Hindi name of that same annual festival, and 'Festival of Letters' has been its standing English name for decades. The commission did not publish a reason for the cancellation; a plausible dispute is that the question asked for a 'theme' while 'Festival of Letters' is the event's permanent name rather than a year-specific theme. Treat this one as a topic to learn, not an answer to memorise.
- (a)Festival of poetry — Not the name or billing the Sahitya Akademi uses for its annual festival. The Akademi does run poetry-specific formats (such as Kavi Sammelans) inside the festival, but the festival itself is not titled a poetry festival.
- (b)Festival of letters — This is the billing the Sahitya Akademi itself uses — its 2026 annual festival was announced as the 'Festival of Letters 2026'. It is listed here for completeness only: the Commission cancelled this question and credited no option, so nothing on this card is marked correct.
- (c)Festival of story — Not a name the Akademi uses for the annual Sahityotsav. Story-telling and fiction sessions are only one strand of a multi-genre, multi-language festival.
- (d)Festival of folklore — Not the annual festival's name. Folklore and tribal/oral literature feature in Akademi programming, but they are one component rather than the festival's identity.
The Sahitya Akademi is India's National Academy of Letters — set up by the Government of India in 1954, functioning as an autonomous body under the Ministry of Culture, with its headquarters at Rabindra Bhavan, New Delhi. It works in 24 recognised languages and its best-known outputs are the annual Sahitya Akademi Award, the Yuva Puraskar (young writers), the Bal Sahitya Puraskar (children's literature) and translation prizes. Its highest honour to a writer is election as a Fellow of the Akademi. Its flagship annual event is the multi-day, multi-language literary festival called Sahityotsav in Hindi and the Festival of Letters in English.
Even on a cancelled question the underlying institution is high-yield: state PSCs return again and again to 'which body gives which literary award' and 'which festival does which Akademi run'. The safest anchors are the three national Akademis — Sahitya (letters), Sangeet Natak (music, dance, drama) and Lalit Kala (fine arts) — all created in the mid-1950s and all autonomous bodies funded by the Ministry of Culture. Distinguish these from the Jnanpith Award, which is not a government award at all.
- Sahitya Akademi — India's National Academy of Letters, established in 1954; headquarters at Rabindra Bhavan, New Delhi
- It is an autonomous organisation under the Ministry of Culture and works in 24 recognised languages
- Its 2026 annual festival was announced as 'Festival of Letters 2026', 30 March to 4 April 2026, Rabindra Bhavan Lawns, New Delhi
- Highest honour it confers on a writer: election as a Fellow of the Akademi; its regular awards include the Sahitya Akademi Award, Yuva Puraskar and Bal Sahitya Puraskar
- MPPSC cancelled this question in its final key — marks were awarded to all candidates
- Treating the Jnanpith Award as a government award — it is conferred by the Bharatiya Jnanpith trust
- Assuming the Sahitya Akademi is a government department — it is an autonomous body funded by the Ministry of Culture
- Mixing up the Akademis: the National School of Drama was set up by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, not the Sahitya Akademi
MPPSC and UPPSC ask the festival name, the award, the year or the winner as one-line recall; UPSC prefers the institutional angle — which body was set up by whom, and which honour is the highest.
Consider the following statements : 1. The National School of Drama was set up by Sangeet Natak Akademi in 1959. 2. The highest honour conferred by the Sahitya Akademi on a writer is by electing him its Fellow. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
- (a) 1 only
- (b) 2 only
- (c) Both 1 and 2
- (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer(c) Both 1 and 2 — NSD was set up by the Sangeet Natak Akademi in 1959, and Fellowship is the Sahitya Akademi's highest honour.
Directly about the Sahitya Akademi as an institution — the same body whose annual festival this MPPSC question referred to.
- practice — not a real PYQ
The Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, was established in the year:
- (a)1950
- (b)1954
- (c)1957
- (d)1961
Answer(b) 1954 — the Sahitya Akademi was set up by the Government of India in 1954 and works as an autonomous body under the Ministry of Culture.
- practice — not a real PYQ
The highest honour that the Sahitya Akademi confers on a writer is:
- (a)The Sahitya Akademi Award
- (b)Election as a Fellow of the Akademi
- (c)The Bhasha Samman
- (d)The Yuva Puraskar
Answer(b) Election as a Fellow of the Akademi — a higher distinction than the annual Sahitya Akademi Award.