Which of the following personalities has been nominated for the Sahitya Academy Yuva Puraskaar 2023 for the Rajasthani language ?

Correct — option (1), Devilal Mahiya.

Sahitya Akademi announced its Yuva Puraskar 2023 on 23 June 2023. Its press release says the Executive Board, chaired by Akademi President Madhav Kaushik, approved the selection of 20 writers recommended by three-member juries.

For Rajasthani, the jury's digest lists six books by four authors. It selected Devilal Mahiya's poetry collection अंतस रो ओळमो (Antas Ro Olmo) for the Yuva Puraskar 2023 "सर्वसम्मति से", that is, unanimously. The digest gives his year of birth as 1990.

The release describes the award as "a casket containing an engraved copper-plaque and a cheque of Rs. 50,000/-", to be presented at a special function later.

The idea to remember: Rajasthani Yuva Puraskar 2023: Devilal Mahiya, for the poetry collection Antas Ro Olmo.

Why the others are wrong

• (2)
  Dr. Ramkumar Ghotad — The Akademi's Rajasthani digest for Yuva Puraskar 2023 names four authors: Kishan 'Pranay' (Kishan Singh Dodiya), Devilal Mahiya, Mansi Sharma and Surendra Kumar Swami.

  Dr. Ramkumar Ghotad is not among them, and the jury's choice was Devilal Mahiya.

• (3)
  Badri Narayan — Badri Narayan does not appear in the Akademi's Rajasthani digest for Yuva Puraskar 2023.

  The Yuva Puraskar goes to young writers: the Rajasthani nominees in that digest were born between 1988 and 1999, and the award went to Devilal Mahiya, born 1990.

• (4)
  Atul Chaturvedi — Atul Chaturvedi is not in the Rajasthani digest. A different Atul won in another language: the Hindi Yuva Puraskar 2023 went to Atul Kumar Rai, for the novel चाँदपुर की चंदा (Chandpur Ki Chanda).

  In Rajasthani, the jury unanimously chose Devilal Mahiya.

Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, is an autonomous organisation under the Ministry of Culture. Besides its main annual award, it gives the Yuva Puraskar for young writers and the Bal Sahitya Puraskar for children's literature.

For each language, shortlisted books go to a three-member jury, whose recommendation is approved by the Akademi's Executive Board.

Rajasthani is not among the 22 languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, yet the Akademi gives its awards in Rajasthani too.

Key facts

• Sahitya Akademi announced Yuva Puraskar 2023 on 23 June 2023; its Executive Board approved 20 writers.
• Rajasthani: Devilal Mahiya (born 1990), for the poetry collection अंतस रो ओळमो (Antas Ro Olmo), chosen unanimously.
• Hindi: Atul Kumar Rai, for the novel चाँदपुर की चंदा (Chandpur Ki Chanda).
• The Yuva Puraskar carries a casket with an engraved copper plaque and a cheque of ₹50,000.
• Rajasthani is not in the Constitution's Eighth Schedule, but Sahitya Akademi gives awards in it.

Common traps

• Mixing up the Akademi's awards. The Yuva Puraskar is for young writers; the Bal Sahitya Puraskar is for children's literature; the main Sahitya Akademi Award is separate from both.
• Mixing up languages. Atul Kumar Rai won the 2023 Yuva Puraskar in Hindi; Devilal Mahiya won it in Rajasthani.
• Assuming the Akademi gives awards only in Eighth Schedule languages. Rajasthani is outside the Schedule, yet has its own Yuva Puraskar.

UnlockIAS will link similar questions from RAS Pre 2018 here once that paper is published on this site.

• practice — not a real PYQ

  Devilal Mahiya was selected for the Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar 2023 in Rajasthani for which of the following works?

  • (a)अंतस रो ओळमो
  • (b)चाँदपुर की चंदा
  • (c)पञ्चभूत
  • (d)आधुनिक राजस्थानी साहित्य री जसजोत
  Answer(1) — The Akademi's digest records the unanimous selection of Devilal Mahiya's poetry collection अंतस रो ओळमो. Option (2) is Atul Kumar Rai's Hindi novel; options (3) and (4) are other books in the Rajasthani digest, by Kishan 'Pranay' and Surendra Kumar Swami.
• practice — not a real PYQ

  The Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar 2023 carried a cheque of how much?

  • (a)Rs. 25,000
  • (b)Rs. 50,000
  • (c)Rs. 1,00,000
  • (d)Rs. 5,00,000
  Answer(2) — The Akademi's release of 23 June 2023 describes the award as a casket with an engraved copper plaque and a cheque of Rs. 50,000. Options (1), (3) and (4) do not match.