♦ The Sahitya Akademi presented its 2024 Bal Sahitya Awards in Lucknow on 14 November 2024, recognising 23 authors across various Indian languages for their significant contributions to children’s literature.

♦ Each awardee received a copper plaque and a cash prize of Rs.50,000.

♦ The awardees included Ranju Hazarika (Assamese), Dipanwita Roy (Bengali), Bharjin Jacob Mosahari (Bodo), Bishan Singh Dardi (Dogri), Gira Pinakin Bhatt (Gujarati), Krishnamurthy Biligeri (Kannada), Muzaffar Hussain Dilbar (Kashmiri), Harsha Sadguru Shetye (Konkani), Narayanji (Maithili), Unni Ammayambalam (Malayalam), Kshetrimayum Suvadani (Manipuri), Bharat Sasne (Marathi), Vasant Thapa (Nepali), Manas Ranjan Samal (Odia), Kuldeep Singh Deep (Punjabi), Prahlad Singh Jhora (Rajasthani), Harshdev Madhav (Sanskrit), Dugai Tudu (Santali), Yuma Vasuki (Tamil) and Pamidimukkala Chandrashekhar Azad (Telugu).

♦ The Bal Sahitya Akademi awards were started in 2010 by the Sahitya Akademi, which was formed in 1954 as India’s National Academy of Letters –“ a central institution for literary dialogue, publication and promotion in the country.