The event was graced by Hon’ble Union Home and Cooperation Minister Shri Amit Shah, who honoured the occasion as the Chief Guest and felicitated Shri Mahendra Madhukar ji for winning the prestigious Jagran Sahitya Srijan Samman. He also felicitated the 9 other recipients of Jagran Kriti Samman.
Jagran Sahitya Srijan Samman: A Landmark in Hindi Literary Recognition
The Jagran Sahitya Srijan Samman, carrying a cash prize of ₹11, 00,000, (Eleven lakhs) stands as one of the highest-value honours in Hindi literature today. It recognises exceptional original work that contributes meaningfully to the enrichment of Hindi language and culture.
The inaugural recipient of the award was Shri Mahendra Madhukar for his novel Vakratunda, published by Rajkamal Prakashan.
Highlighting the significance of the Jagran Srijan Sahitya Samman, recipient Shri Mahendra Madhukar ji said that “this award is a huge step for literary world. Through these awards, Jagran is reaching out to those overlooked side of the literary works’. Reflecting on his journey as an author he was reminiscent of his earlier days when he started writing since the age of 8 with poems, later turned to write Puranic novels and now has written more than 18 novels. His penname Madhukar was given by renowned poet Ramdhari Singh Dinkar. He says that his sole inspiration for the novel ‘Vakratunda’ is spiritualism and cultural roots of Indian tradition, which remains unexplored.”
Jagran Kriti Samman: Recognising the Diversity of Hindi Literature
Alongside the main award, Dainik Jagran also presented the Jagran Kriti Samman, which honours exemplary literary achievements across multiple genres — Hindi Bestseller, Uttam Mein Sarvottam, and Navankur — encompassing fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and translation. Nine writers were honoured this year, each receiving ₹50,000.
Under the Jagran Kriti Samman, the Jagran Hindi Bestseller – Navankur award, which honours an author’s debut work, was presented to Atul Kumar Rai for Chandpur ki Chanda, published by Hindu Yugam, Delhi. In the Dainik Jagran Hindi Bestseller category, awards were conferred across multiple genres: in Fiction, Kailash Manju Vishnoi received recognition for UPSC wala Love: Collector Sahiba (Manjul Prakashan, Bhopal); in Non-Fiction, Dr. Omendra Ratnu was honoured for Maharana: Sahastra Varshon ka Dharmayuddha (Prabhat Prakashan, New Delhi); in Translation, Akshat Gupta was recognised for The Hidden Hindu: Part 1 (Prabhat Prakashan, New Delhi); and in Poetry, Paritosh Tripathi received the award for Chay si Mohabbat (Hindu Yugam, New Delhi). Under the Jagran Hindi Bestseller: Uttam Mein Sarvottam category, which is best content from the Hindi bestsellers 2024, Fiction was awarded to Piyush Mishra for Tumhari Aukat Kya Hai (Rajkamal Prakashan, New Delhi); Non-Fiction to Major (Dr.) Parshuram Gupta for Bharat ke Akrantaon ki Kalank Kathayen (Prabhat Prakashan, New Delhi); Poetry to Shakeel Azmi for Banvaas (Manjul Prakashan, Bhopal); and Translation to Vikram Sampat for Savarkar: Ek Bhooli Bisari Ateet Ki Goonj (Penguin, New Delhi).
Distinguished Jury and Selection Process
The jury for the Jagran Sahitya Srijan Samman comprised: Shri Prasoon Joshi, Chairperson, CBFC; Dr. Sachchidanand Joshi, Member Secretary, IGNCA; and Shri Sharan Kumar Limbale, author and poet.
The jury for the Jagran Kriti Samman included: Prof. Kumud Sharma, Vice-Chancellor, Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya, Vardha; Dr. Kaushal Panwar, IGNOU; and Shri Chittaranjan Tripathy, Director, NSD Delhi.
The jury members emphasised that the evaluation process involved a detailed assessment by literary experts, ensuring that all recognised works reflected both creative depth and intellectual merit. Originality, literary depth, reader friendly and relevance of the content.
Jury head Shri Prasoon Joshi shared the vision behind the selection of Mahendra Madhukar’s Hindi novel Vakratunda for the Jagran Sahitya Srijan Samman. He said, “we, jury members, could bring a fine piece of literary excellence which is our authentic voice. Today, destruction of traditions has become the crude definition of creativity. In such a time it is our cultural responsibility to respect the creativity and original thinking created in our language.”
Commitment to Hindi Literature
On this occasion, Basant Rathore, Senior Vice President of Brand and Strategy, Dainik Jagran, noted that the initiative goes beyond monetary recognition — it fosters a sustainable ecosystem for the growth of Hindi literature and readership. He said, “Hindi is not just a language — it is the pulse of our nation. With Dainik Jagran Kriti Samman, we aim to honour those voices in Hindi literature whose exceptional works resonate deeply with readers and inspire a new generation of writers.”
A Tribute to Shri Narendra Mohan
The award honours the enduring legacy of Shri Narendra Mohan, who led Dainik Jagran as Editor-in-Chief for 37 years with unwavering dedication to editorial integrity. During the Emergency, his act of leaving editorial spaces blank in protest against censorship — which led to his imprisonment — remains a defining moment of journalistic courage. His influential column Vichar Pravah and his writings on India’s cultural and political landscape continue to inspire generations.
He also served as a Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) from 1996 to 2002, contributing significantly to committees on Finance, Telecommunications, and Home Affairs.
The Jagran Sahitya Srijan Samman and Jagran Kriti Samman are part of Dainik Jagran’s broader Hindi Hain Hum campaign, which includes quarterly bestseller lists across fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and translation — building a consistent framework to celebrate and promote excellence in Hindi writing.
Awards (Category wise)
Jagran Sahitya Srijan Samman In Memory of Narendra Mohan Ji.
Author: Shri Mahendra Madhukar
Work: Vakratunda
Genre: Novel
Publisher: Rajkamal Prakashan, New Delhi
Jagran Kriti Samman
Jagran Hindi Bestseller – Navankur (award given for any author’s first work)
Work: Chandpur ki Chanda
Author: Atul Kumar Rai
Publisher: Hindu Yugam, Delhi
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Dainik Jagran Hindi Bestseller
Fiction
Work: UPSC wala Love: Collector Sahiba
Author: Kailash Manju Vishnoi
Publisher: Manjul Prakashan, Bhopal
Non-Fiction
Work: Maharana: Sahastra Varshon ka Dharmayuddha
Author: Dr. Omendra Ratnu
Publisher: Prabhat Prakashan, New Delhi
Translation
Work: The Hidden Hindu: Part 1
Author: Akshat Gupta
Publisher: Prabhat Prakashan, New Delhi
Poetry
Work: Chay si Mohabbat
Author: Paritosh Tripathi
Publisher: Hindu Yugam, New Delhi
Jagran Hindi Bestseller : Uttam Mein Sarvottam
Fiction
Work: Tumhari Aukat Kya Hai
Author: Piyush Mishra
Publisher: Rajkamal Prakashan, New Delhi
Non-Fiction
Work: Bharat ke Akrantaon ki Kalank Kathayen
Author: Major (Dr.) Parshuram Gupta
Publisher: Prabhat Prakashan, New Delhi
Poetry
Work: Banvaas
Author: Shakeel Azmi
Publisher: Manjul Prakashan, Bhopal
Translation
Work: Savarkar: Ek Bhooli Bisari Ateet Ki Goonj
Author: Vikram Sampat
Publisher: Penguin, New Delhi