Vinod Kumar Shukla has been named the recipient of the 59th Jnanpith Award, marking a historic moment as the first writer from Chhattisgarh to receive India’s highest literary honor.
- The decision, made on March 23 by the Jnanpith Selection Committee chaired by Pratibha Ray, recognizes his outstanding contributions to Hindi literature.
- At 88 years old, Shukla has enriched Indian literature with notable works like Naukar ki Kameez, which delves into the struggles of a clerk under bureaucratic pressures, and Khilega Toh Dekhenge, a novel that captures the eccentricities of rural life through the journey of a teacher.
- This accolade makes him the 12th Hindi writer to be honored with the Jnanpith Award. In addition to the prestige, the award includes a cash prize of Rs 11 lakh, a bronze statue of Saraswati—the Hindu goddess of learning—and a citation.
