Why in the News?

Keki N. Daruwalla, a celebrated poet and former IPS officer who inspired numerous young writers and poets as a mentor, passed away in a Delhi hospital after a long illness. He was 87 years old.

Keki N Daruwalla

About

• Born: Lahore in 1937
• He studied at the Government College in Ludhiana and joined the police force in 1958.
• Eventually, he became a part of the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) and thereafter retiring in 1995 as the chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee.
• He published his first volume of poetry in 1970, titled Under Orion
• He won the Sahitya Akademi award in 1984 for The Keeper of the Dead (1982).
• Notable Works:
  • Under Orion (1970)
  • Apparition (1971)
  • Crossing of Rivers (1976)
  • The Keeper of the Dead (1982)
  • The Scarecrow and the Ghost (2004)
  • Love Across the Salt Desert (2006)
  • Pepper and the Christ (2009)

About Sahitya Akademi Award

• Established: 1954
• It is a literary honour in India.
• The award comprises a plaque and a cash prize of ₹ 1,00,000.
• The annual process of selecting awardees runs for the preceding twelve months.