Tamil Nadu Announces Annual Literary Awards for Seven Indian Languages Amid Sahitya Akademi Delay

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin announced the annual 'Semmozhi Illakiya Virudhu' literary awards for best works in seven Indian languages, including Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Odiya, Bengali, and Marathi. Each award carries a Rs 5 lakh cash prize. The announcement came amid delays and alleged political interference by the Union Culture Ministry in the Sahitya Akademi awards. The Tamil Nadu government will oversee the awards, with independent experts selecting recipients to ensure transparency and quality.