The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of India confers this award to encourage original and creative writing in Hindi.
The awards were established in 1983 to honour the legacy of Bharatendu Harishchandra, who played a pivotal role in the renaissance of the Hindi language and literature during the 19th century. Initially, the awards were conferred in the field of Journalism and Mass Communication to recognize exceptional contributions to these domains.
In 1992, the scope of the awards was expanded to include three additional categories:
1. National Integration 2. WomenâÂÂs Issues 3. ChildrenâÂÂs Literature
This expansion reflected the evolving focus on addressing diverse and significant themes through Hindi literature.
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Annual Report 2000-2001. p 47.