Written by Intern Rency Gomes || Team Allycaral
New Delhi, January 15, 2026:
For their exceptional contribution to India’s literary landscape, Amar Ujala’s highest literary honour under the Shabd Samman 2025 — the ‘Akashdeep’ Award — will be conferred on eminent Hindi short-story writer Mamta Kalia in the Hindi category, and on renowned Manipuri author Arambam Ongbi Memchoubi in the non-Hindi Indian languages category.
The year holds special significance as 2025 marks the Golden Jubilee of the United Nations’ International Women’s Year, while 2026 has been dedicated by the UN to women’s contributions to agriculture. In this context, honouring two distinguished women writers lends a special distinction to this year’s Akashdeep Award.
Each recipient of the Akashdeep Award will receive a cash prize of ₹5,00,000, along with a citation and a Ganga sculpture as a symbolic honour.
About the Awardees
Arambam Ongbi Memchoubi, born as Dr. Thounaojam Chanu Ibemhal on January 1, 1957, has made an exceptional contribution to Manipuri literature through her prolific writing focused on postcolonial thought, women’s identity, and Meitei myths. She is regarded as one of the most powerful voices in contemporary Manipuri literature.
Mamta Kalia, born on November 2, 1940, is a pioneering figure in modern Hindi literature. Emerging during the early waves of feminism, she has authored more than a dozen notable works and is widely recognised for her nuanced portrayal of middle-class complexities and women’s struggles for identity.
Under the Akashdeep honour, several Indian languages — including Kannada, Marathi, Bengali, Odia, Malayalam and Gujarati — have been recognised in previous years. Manipuri has been selected for the first time this year. Past recipients include Girish Karnad, Bhalchandra Nemade, Shankha Ghosh, Pratibha Ray, M.T. Vasudevan Nair and Sitanshu Yashaschandra among non-Hindi languages, and Namvar Singh, Gyanranjan, Vishwanath Tripathi, Shekhar Joshi, Vinod Kumar Shukla and Govind Mishra in Hindi.
Best Work Awards – Shabd Samman 2025
Alongside the Akashdeep Award, Amar Ujala has also announced the Best Hindi Literary Works of 2024, honouring excellence across categories:
‘Chhap’ (Poetry): Vaasna Ek Nadi Ka Naam Hai by Savita Singh
Non-Fiction: Mutah by Naish Hasan
Fiction: Curfew Ki Raat by Shahadat
Bhasha-Bandhu Translation Award: Sujata Shiven for the Hindi translation of Charu Chivar aur Charya (original Odia work by Pradeep Dash)
‘Thaap’ Award (First Book): Sudhaargrih Ki Malikainen by Manish Yadav
Each Best Work Award includes a cash prize of ₹1,00,000, a citation, and a Ganga sculpture.
Jury & Vision
The awards were adjudicated by a distinguished jury comprising poet Varsha Das, writer Vibhuti Narayan Rai, storyteller Dhirendra Asthana, writer-translator Damodar Khadse, and short-story writer Balram.
Yashwant Vyas, Group Advisor at Amar Ujala and Convener of the Shabd Samman, stated that the initiative was launched in 2018 to realise the collective dream of strengthening and celebrating Indian languages and literary collaboration.
The Amar Ujala Shabd Samman 2025 will be presented at a formal ceremony to be held soon.
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