The scheme “Tholkappiar Award” was launched by the Arts and Culture Department, Puducherry. The scheme aims to provide financial assistance of ₹10,000/- to writers and authors for outstanding research publications in Tamil literature who are natives of the Union Territory of Puducherry either by birth or domicile. The application is accepted offline.
Benefits
- Financial Assistance of ₹10,000/- with an award and certificate.
Eligibility
- The applicant should be a writer/author.
- The applicant should be born in Puducherry or a resident of Puducherry for five years or have continuous residence before the date of application in the jurisdiction to exist.
- The applicant should submit research books not less than 150 pages.
- The applicant should submit texts that must have been printed and published as a first edition by December 31 of the specified year.
- Essays and dissertations submitted for university degrees or examinations are not eligible.
- A one-time awardee is ineligible to apply for the subsequent four years.
- The texts submitted for competition should not be an abridgment, adaptation, translation, or paraphrase of another text.
- Novels, short stories, poetry, drama, travelogues, and collections of essays are not eligible for the Tholkappiar Award.
- The thesis editor should be in Tamil language only.
- The thesis submitted for the Tholkappiar Award should be published in the calendar year preceding the year of the award. It should not have been published in the previous year.
Application Process
Offline
- The interested applicant should visit (during office hours) the Department of Art and Culture and request the hard copy of the prescribed format of the application form from the staff exclusively entrusted to issue and collect filled-in applications.
- Alternatively, the applicant may download the application form from the official website.
- Fill in all the mandatory fields in the application form, paste the passport-sized photograph (signed across, if required), and attach copies of all the mandatory documents (self-attest if required).
- Submit the duly filled and signed application form along with the documents to the superintendent, Department of Art and Culture, No.1, Roman Roland Road, Puducherry 605 001.
- Request a receipt or acknowledgment from the superintendent to whom the application has been submitted. Ensure that the receipt contains essential details such as the date and time of submission, and a unique identification number (if applicable).
Notes
- Five copies of texts received for the competition cannot be returned for any reason.
- Only application forms signed by the author will be accepted for the competition.
Documents Required
- Passport-size Photo.
- Residence Certificate.
- Birth Certificate.
- Author Biographies.
- Five Copies of the Text.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Who is eligible to apply for the Tholkappiar Award?
Writers and authors born in Puducherry or residents for at least five continuous years before applying.
2. Can an author apply for the Tholkappiar Award more than once?
Yes, but only after a gap of four years from their previous award.
3. Are there any restrictions on the types of texts that can be submitted?
Yes, only original research works in Tamil literature are eligible. Novels, short stories, and poetry are excluded.
4. What is the minimum page requirement for research books applying for the Tholkappiar Award?
The research book must have at least 150 pages.
5. When should the first edition of the text have been printed and published?
It should be published as a first edition by December 31 of the specified year.
6. What must be included with each publication submission?
Five copies of the text, along with other required documents.
7. Will the submitted texts be returned to the applicants?
No, submitted texts will not be returned for any reason.
8. What is the award for winning the Tholkappiar Award?
A ₹10,000 cash prize, along with an award and certificate.
9. Who selects the prize-winning books?
A panel of experts constituted by the Arts and Culture Department.
10. Can more than one award be given in a given year?
Yes, depending on the quality and number of submissions.