• • The Government of Assam has announced the Assam Literary Award and Assam Literary Pension for 2025–26, marking a major recognition of literary contributions in the State. 
  • A total of 18 writers will receive the Assam Literary Award, while 10 eminent literary figures will receive literary pensions beginning December 7, 2025. 
  • Recipients of the Assam Literary Award (2025-26):
    • Phanindra Kumar Dev Choudhury (Kamrup-M), Dr. Surjya Kanta Hazarika (Kamrup-M), Kishori Mohan Das (Barpeta), Purna Kumar Sarmah (Biswanath), Arpana Konwar (Dibrugarh), Ashutosh Das (Hailakandi), Dr. Purna Bhattacharya (Kamrup-M), Sajal Paul (Kamrup-M), Urmila Chakravarty (Kamrup-M), Bhaben Chandra Koch (Karbi Anglong), Sarada Prasad Mashahary (Kokrajhar), Gurmailya Singh (Nagaon), Phani Koiri (Sivasagar), Dr. Jatin Baruah (Sonitpur), Subhash Chandra Sinha (Sribhumi), Baruah Kanta Brahma (Tamulpur), Girish Handique (Tinsukia) and Subarna Saikia (Golaghat)

• Recipients of the Assam Literary Pension (2025-26):

• Gunjan Kumar Phukan (Biswanath), Dileep Chandan Sarma (Kamrup-M), Santanu Kausik Baruah (Kamrup-M), Mihir Dewri (Kamrup-M), Ranjit Hazarika (Kamrup-M), Shashi Dhar Deori (Lakhimpur), Kamal Kumar Jain (Nalbari), Sonbar Baruah (Tamulpur), Jatin Moran (Tinsukia) and Thaneswar Goyary (Karbi Anglong)

• These recognitions are granted under the Assam Literary Award & Pension Rules, 1974, reaffirming institutional support to Assamese literature.
• Each awardee will receive Rs 50,000 as a one-time award, while pension recipients will be given Rs 8,000 per month.
• The initiative underscores the State’s commitment to strengthening cultural capital by recognising literary excellence across districts. 
• This framework gains significance in light of growing academic discourse on language preservation, regional literary revival, and encouragement to indigenous literary scholarship. 
• Supported by the Higher Education Department, the announcement aligns with larger cultural objectives such as increasing literary production, encouraging regional writings, and creating archival value for future scholarship.
• Beyond financial support, literary pension schemes serve as acknowledgment of a lifetime of creative contribution—encouraging younger writers, translators, poets and researchers to contribute actively to Assam’s cultural landscape.

Exam Hook – Prelims Style

Statement: Under the Assam Literary Award & Pension Rules, the literary pension is provided as a monthly entitlement to selected recipients.
True/False?

One-line wrap:
Assam’s literary awards and pensions reaffirm recognition of its cultural heritage and provide real institutional support to veteran and emerging writers.

Source