Nominations open for 9th Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay Book Prize

The New India Foundation (NIF) has opened nominations for the 9th edition of the Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay NIF Book Prize, among the country’s most prestigious awards recognising excellence in non-fiction writing on modern and contemporary India. Entries will be accepted until January 31.

Instituted in 2019, the prize honours book-length non-fiction works that combine rigorous research with accessible, high-quality writing. Publishers, authors and translators are invited to submit eligible titles, with the winner to be announced later this year at a formal ceremony. The award carries a cash prize.

For the 2026 edition, books first published between January 1 and December 31, 2025 are eligible for consideration. Works may be originally written in English or translated into English from another language. There is no restriction on the author’s nationality, ideology or subject area, as long as the work is non-fiction and examines some aspect of modern or contemporary India.

Speaking about the prize, Nandini Nair, associate director of the New India Foundation, said the award celebrates “India’s finest books on modern India” and recognises works marked by intellectual rigour and depth of research. She added that the prize seeks to enhance understanding of India’s past and present while fostering informed public discourse among a broad readership.

The selection process will be overseen by a jury appointed by NIF, which will determine the longlist, shortlist and final winner. As part of the nomination process, applicants must submit a completed nomination form along with three physical copies of the nominated book to the New India Foundation in Bengaluru.

Founded in Bengaluru, the New India Foundation is best known for its fellowships supporting original research and translation on post-Independence India. The 2025 Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay NIF Book Prize was awarded to Aparajith Ramnath for ‘Engineering a Nation: The Life and Career of M Visvesvaraya’.