<P> The Saraswati Samman is an annual award for outstanding prose or poetry literary works in any 22 Indian language listed in Schedule VIII of the Constitution of India . It is named after an Indian goddess of learning and is considered to be among the highest literary awards in India . </P> <P> The Saraswati Samman was instituted in 1991 by the K.K. Birla Foundation . It consists of Rs 15 lakh, a citation and a plaque . Candidates are selected from literary works published in the previous ten years by a panel that included scholars and former award winners . The inaugural award was given to Harivanshrai' Bachchan' for his four volume autobiography, Kya Bhooloon Kya Yaad Karoon, Needa Ka Nirman Phir, Basere Se Door and Dashdwar se Sopan Tak . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Th> Year </Th> <Th> Image </Th> <Th> Recipient </Th> <Th> Work </Th> <Th> Language </Th> <Th> Ref . </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1991 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Harivansh Rai Bachchan </Td> <Td> Autobiography in four volumes (Autobiography) </Td> <Td> Hindi </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Ramakant Rath </Td> <Td> "Sri Radha" (Poetry) </Td> <Td> Oriya </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Vijay Tendulkar </Td> <Td> "Kanyadaan" (Play) </Td> <Td> Marathi </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Harbhajan Singh </Td> <Td> "Rukh Te Rishi" (Poetry collection) </Td> <Td> Punjabi </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1995 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Balamani Amma </Td> <Td> "Nivedyam" (Poetry collection) </Td> <Td> Malayalam </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Shamsur Rahman Faruqi </Td> <Td> "She ` r-e Shor - Angez" </Td> <Td> Urdu </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td>--</Td> <Td> Manubhai Pancholi </Td> <Td> "Kurukshetra" </Td> <Td> Gujarati </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1998 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Shankha Ghosh </Td> <Td> "Gandharba Kabita Guccha" (Poetry collection) </Td> <Td> Bengali </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1999 </Td> <Td>--</Td> <Td> Indira Parthasarathy </Td> <Td> "Ramanujar" (Play) </Td> <Td> Tamil </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2000 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Manoj Das </Td> <Td> "Amruta Phala" (Novel) </Td> <Td> Oriya </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Dalip Kaur Tiwana </Td> <Td> "Katha Kaho Urvashi" (Novel) </Td> <Td> Punjabi </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2002 </Td> <Td>--</Td> <Td> Mahesh Elkunchwar </Td> <Td> "Yugant" (Play) </Td> <Td> Marathi </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2003 </Td> <Td>--</Td> <Td> Govind Chandra Pande </Td> <Td> "Bhagirathi" (Poetry collection) </Td> <Td> Sanskrit </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Sunil Gangopadhyay </Td> <Td> "Pratham Alo" (Novel) </Td> <Td> Bengali </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2005 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> K. Ayyappa Panicker </Td> <Td> "Ayyappa Panikarude Kritikal" (Poetry collection) </Td> <Td> Malayalam </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2006 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Jagannath Prasad Das </Td> <Td> "Parikrama" (Poetry collection) </Td> <Td> Oriya </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2007 </Td> <Td>--</Td> <Td> Naiyer Masud </Td> <Td> "Taoos Chaman Ki Myna" (Short stories collection) </Td> <Td> Urdu </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2008 </Td> <Td>--</Td> <Td> Lakshmi Nandan Bora </Td> <Td> "Kayakalpa" (Novel) </Td> <Td> Assamese </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2009 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Surjit Paatar </Td> <Td> "Lafzan Di Dargah" </Td> <Td> Punjabi </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> S.L. Bhyrappa </Td> <Td> "Mandra" </Td> <Td> Kannada </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2011 </Td> <Td>--</Td> <Td> A.A. Manavalan </Td> <Td> "Irama Kathaiyum Iramayakalum" </Td> <Td> Tamil </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2012 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Sugathakumari </Td> <Td> "Manalezhuthu" (Poetry collection) </Td> <Td> MALAYALAM </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2013 </Td> <Td>--</Td> <Td> Govind Mishra </Td> <Td> "Dhool Paudho Par" (Novel) </Td> <Td> Hindi </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2014 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Veerappa Moily </Td> <Td> "Ramayana Mahanveshanam" (Poetry) </Td> <Td> Kannada </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2015 </Td> <Td>--</Td> <Td> Padma Sachdev </Td> <Td> "Chitt - Chete" (Autobiography) </Td> <Td> Dogri </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2016 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Mahabaleshwar Sail </Td> <Td> "Hawthan" (Novel) </Td> <Td> Konkani </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2017 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Sitanshu Yashaschandra </Td> <Td> "Vakhar" (Poetry collection) </Td> <Td> Gujarati </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Th> Year </Th> <Th> Image </Th> <Th> Recipient </Th> <Th> Work </Th> <Th> Language </Th> <Th> Ref . </Th> </Tr>

Who was chosen for the 2017 saraswati samman