Overview
Indias maritime heritage stretches from the ancient ports of Lothal and Muziris to the modern shipping hubs of Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata. Recognising the importance of documenting this rich legacy, the Ministry of Shipping in partnership with the National Academy of Hindi has launched an award scheme dedicated to books that are written originally in Hindi or translated into Hindi from other languages, focusing on three interrelated subjects:
- Indian Ports history, development, and contemporary challenges.
- Shipping commercial, naval, and environmental aspects.
- Inland Water Transport rivers, canals, and inland navigation.
The scheme seeks to encourage scholarship, creative writing, and public awareness in Hindi, strengthening the languages role in technical and historical discourse.
Eligibility
The award is open to authors, translators, and publishing houses that meet the following conditions:
- Books must be published in the last five calendar years.
- Content must be predominantly in Hindi (minimum 80% of text).
- The subject matter must be directly related to Indian ports, shipping, or inland water transport.
- Both original works and translations from English, regional Indian languages, or foreign languages are admissible.
- Selfpublished titles are eligible provided they have an ISBN.
Evaluation Criteria
1. Relevance to Theme (30%) How closely does the book address the specified maritime subjects? Does it cover historical, technical, policy, or socioeconomic dimensions?
2. Scholarly Rigor & Accuracy (25%) Are the facts, data, and references reliable? For academic titles, peerreview status is a plus.
3. Literary Merit (20%) Quality of language, narrative flow, readability, and engagement for the target audience.
4. Contribution to Hindi Literature (15%) Innovation in terminology, successful adaptation of technical vocabularies, and overall enrichment of Hindi prose.
5. Public Impact (10%) Sales figures, media coverage, inclusion in academic curricula, or evidence of community outreach.
Selection Process
- Submission (1May 30June) Authors or publishers submit a digital copy, ISBN, author biography, and a brief synopsis (max 300 words) via the online portal.
- PreScreening (July) A secretariat team checks eligibility, completeness of documents, and removes any disqualified entries.
- Expert Review (August September) A panel of 12 experts consisting of maritime historians, shipping professionals, Hindi linguists, and literary critics evaluates each book against the criteria. Each panelist scores independently.
- Shortlisting (October) The top 20 titles are announced on the Ministry website. Authors are invited to present a 10minute virtual talk about their work.
- Final Deliberation (November) The panel meets (inperson or virtually) to discuss presentations and assign final rankings.
- Award Ceremony (15December) Winners are honoured at a ceremony in New Delhi, with media coverage and publication of the award catalogue.
Prizes & Benefits
First Prize INR2,00,000 cash, a citation, and a special edition of the winning book printed by the National Book Trust. The author also receives a oneyear mentorship with a maritime research institute.
Second Prize INR1,20,000 cash, citation, and promotional support for the books distribution to libraries and maritime colleges.
Third Prize INR80,000 cash and citation.
All shortlisted authors will be invited to a networking event with policymakers, shipbuilding firms, and heritage NGOs, providing opportunities for future collaborations.
How to Apply
1. Visit the official portal at shippingaward.gov.in.
2. Register using a valid email address and create a password.
3. Fill in the online application form, attach the required documents, and upload the full PDF of the book (maximum 150MB).
4. Pay the nominal processing fee of INR500 (exempt for authors from recognized educational institutions).
5. Submit the application and note the reference number for future correspondence.
Queries can be directed to award@shipping.gov.in.
Ready to showcase your contribution to Hindi maritime literature?
