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IAS Officer's Short Story Collection Wins Top Literary Award
17 Mar
Summary
- Jitendra Kumar Soni receives 2025 Sahitya Akademi Award for Rajasthani short stories.
- His acclaimed collection 'Bharkhama' inspired a 2024 feature film.
- The award is India's highest literary honor, comprising Rs 1 lakh and a citation.
Jaipur District Collector Jitendra Kumar Soni has been honored with the 2025 Sahitya Akademi Award in the Rajasthani language category. His celebrated short story collection, titled 'Bharkhama,' earned him this national literary recognition.
The collection 'Bharkhama,' which translates to a patient or tolerant woman, beautifully captures the human relationships, life struggles, and cultural values prevalent in rural Rajasthan. Its acclaim led to the development of a Rajasthani feature film in 2024, also named 'Bharkhama,' directed by S Sagar.
Soni's literary achievements were further recognized when he received the best writer award for the film at the 2025 Rajasthan Film Festival. The Sahitya Akademi Award, presented annually by the National Academy of Letters, is India's foremost literary honor, acknowledging works across 24 Indian languages.
The prestigious award includes a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh, a citation, and a commemorative plaque. Soni, born in 1981, is a 2021-batch IAS officer of the Rajasthan cadre, holding advanced degrees in philosophy, political science, and public policy, alongside a BSc in biology and a Bachelor's in education.
With over 15 published books to his name, Soni's literary contributions extend beyond short stories and poetry to include extensive work in translation and editing in both Rajasthani and Hindi.
