Introduction

Nepal Academy is an esteemed national institution set up for conducting study and research on languages, literature, culture, philosophy and social sciences of Nepal, inculcating genuine creative milieu, conferring honour on national scholars and intellectuals, seeking people's participation by and large in the spheres of creative thinking and constructive activities, and mobilizing academic activities at national and international levels. This Academy was established by the government of Nepal on June 22, 1957(Ashadh 9, 2014 B.S.) as Nepal Academy of Literature and Art. Following the promulgation of the Act on February 13, 1958 (Falgun 2, 2014 B.S.) it was renamed as Nepal Academy. Subsequently, its name was changed into 'Royal Nepal Academy' in English and 'Nepal Rajkiya Prajna Prathisthan' in Nepali in 1962 (2019 B.S.) following the chancellor-level decision. This decision was legally approved with the amendment of the Act in 1969 (2026 B.S.). It was later renamed as Royal Nepal Academy after the promulgation of the Royal Nepal Academy Act 1974 (2031 B.S.). With the political change of Nepal into the Democratic Federal Republic, however, separate academies have been organized for fine arts, music and drama while the existing Nepal Academy has been operative as per the provision of Nepal Academy Act 2007 (2064 B.S.).

 According to this legal provision, Nepal Academy addresses itself to the following five core disciplines:

1.    Language,

2.    Literature,

3.    Culture,

4.    Philosophy, and

5.    Social Sciences.

Objectives

The major objectives of Nepal Academy are:

1. to conduct study and research in different academic areas related to Nepali as well as other Nepalese languages, literature, culture, philosophy and social sciences;
2. to prepare valuable works in these disciplines through original creativity;
3. to confer honours and distinctions upon scholars and intellectuals in due recognition of their contributions in their respective fields;
4. to establish rapport with national and international organizations allied with these disciplines; and
5. to seek overall growth of intellectual and cultural sectors through the promotion of people's participation in and awareness of creative and constructive activities at the international level.

Plans and Programmes

To fulfil the aforementioned objectives Nepal Academy will primarily carry out the following programmes:

1. to produce innovative and research-oriented works in the fields of languages, literature, culture, philosophy and social sciences associated with Nepal;     
2. to translate important works from foreign languages into Nepali and other native languages of Nepal, and also from Nepali into foreign languages, as well as other Nepalese languages;
3. to organize talk programmes, lectures, seminars, workshops, conferences, exhibitions, etc. on themes related to Nepal's languages, literature, culture, philosophy and social sciences;
4. to establish linkage between Nepali Academy and related international agencies and organizations and also exchange cultural and academic activities between them;
5. to confer honour or awards on distinguished native or international scholars in recognition of their significant contributions to Nepal's languages, literature, culture, philosophy and social sciences;
6. to promote a congenial atmosphere for accelerating the knowledge of  scholars, specialists, and litterateurs concerned; and
7. to confer life and honorary memberships on distinguished scholars and writers.

Organization

The Academy consists of the following three bodies

1.    Academic Assembly,

2.    Academic Council, and

3.    Service Commission

Academic Assembly

The Academic Assembly is the supreme body of Nepal Academy vested with powers to provide guidelines and directives to the Academic council, approve plans, programmes and budget, frame necessary rules and regulations and decide upon awards, honours, fellowships, life and honorary memberships to be conferred.

The Assembly consists of:

 A.  Chancellor                                                                                Chairman

B.  Vice-Chancellor                                                                       Vice-Chairman

C.  Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Government of Nepal             Ex-officio member      

D. Thirty-five persons including Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor  and Member-Secretary as well as the individuals with significant contributions to Nepali and other languages of Nepal, literature, philosophy, culture, philosophy, and social            sciences, nominated by the Prime Minister                             Members

E.  Secretary, Nepal Academy                                                       Member-Secretary

     The Prime Minister is the ex-officio chief patron while the Minister for Culture is the ex-officio patron of the Academy.

Academic Council

The Academic Council is the executive body of the Academy. It implements the Academic Assembly's decisions, guidelines and the Academy's annual budget.

The Academic Council is constituted as follows from among the members of the academic assembly:

A. Chancellor                                                                                 Chairman

B. Vice-Chancellor                                                                         Vice-Chairman

C. Eight scholars representing various disciplines of knowledge    Members

D. Secretary                                                                                     Member Secretary

The Academic Assembly including the officials of the Academic Council is constituted by the Prime Minister, Chief Patron of Nepal Academy, on the recommendation of the committee consisting of minister of culture as chairman and two other experts nominated by the Prime Minister.

Service Commission

The functions of the Nepal Academy Service Commission are to recruit and promote the Academy employees. This commission is organized as follows:

 A.  Member of the Public Service Commission / as per its decision of Nepal deputed by the commission Chairman          Chairperson

B.  Member nominated by the Academic Assembly of Nepal Academy                                                                                  Member   

C.  Secretary of Nepal Academy                                                                                                                                             Member Secretary

Annual Activities

Generally, Nepal Academy organizes the following events every year:

Poetry Festival is organized every year on the anniversary of the Academy towards the last week of June (Ashadh 9). The poets from all over the country recite their poems on the occasion and on the basis of their performance in this competition are awarded medals and cash prizes for their compositions.

Bhanu Jayanti is celebrated every year in mid - July (Ashadh 29) on the birth anniversary of the foremost Nepali poet, Bhanu Bhakta Acharya. Likewise, the birth anniversaries of other prominent intellectuals are also celebrated.

Lectures, Talks, Seminars, etc. The Academy organizes talks, lectures, seminars, recitation of poems and other academic programmes with the participation of eminent scholars from Nepal and abroad.

Fellowships: The Academy grants fellowships every year to native and foreign scholars for conducting research in Nepalese languages, literature, culture, philosophy and social sciences.

Medical Treatment Fund for National intellectuals has been established in 2004(B.S.2061) with a view to providing due support to ill or indisposed academicians or scholars of national languages and their literature, culture, social sciences, philosophy, music, drama, dance, etc. This fund is provided to the intellectuals concerned in compliance with a prescribed procedure.

Literary Journal Support Fund has been established in 2004(B.S.2061) with a view to supporting literary journals, published under individual or collective initiatives. Disbursement of this fund is based on their duration of publication, regularity, size, total pages, geographical or subject-wise circulation, number of readers, literary contributions, etc.

Academy Awards

Academy confers the following awards on the recommendation of the Academic Council and its approval by the Academic Assembly

Prithivi Prajna Puraskar, instituted in honour of Prithivi Narayan Shah, the leader of the unification of Nepal, is awarded every four years to a Nepalese creative scholar and intellectual.

Nepal Prajna Bhasha Puraskar is awarded every two years to an eminent linguist with a contribution to Nepalese languages.

Nepal Samajik Shashtra, Sanskriti and Darshan Puraskar is awarded every two years to the scholars who have contributed to Nepalese social sciences, culture and philosophy.

Nepal Prajna Nepali Sahitya Puraskar is awarded every year to a writer for his/her contributions to Nepali Literature.

Nepal Prajna Matribhasha Sahitya Puraskar is awarded every year to a writer for the literature written in the mother tongue spoken in the Hilly region. 

Nepal Prajna Matribhasha Puraskar is awarded every year to a writer for the literature written in the mother tongue spoken in the Tarai region.