The environmental ministry will award a total of 4 awards to authors. (Representational)

The environment ministry has decided to re-introduce a scheme for awarding Indian authors for their original work in Hindi on subjects related to environment including pollution and climate change.

The Medini Puraskar Yojna, which aims at promoting original writing of books in Hindi, will have four awards for authors of various environmental topics.

"We have decided to re-introduce the award. It was stopped for a gap of four to five years. But this will be started again. It aims to encourage Hindi authors to write on environmental topics," a top environment ministry official told news agency PTI.

The subjects on which the authors can write include environment protection, pollution control, environmental impact assessment, ecological restoration and development, forest conservation, forest resources and development, protection of wildlife, bio-diversity and climate change.

They can also write about conservation of nature and biosphere reserve, environment education and nature and environment related topics.

"The objective of the scheme is to encourage Indian authors to write books originally in Hindi on the subjects... Indian authors who publish books on any of the above subjects are eligible to participate in 'Medini Puraskar Yojna'.

"The publisher or any other person or institution, on behalf of the author can offer entries of original books in Hindi for consideration of award under the scheme," an official document said.

Rs 1 lakh will be given as first prize, Rs 75,000 as second prize and Rs 50,000 as third prize.

There will also be a consolation prize of Rs 25,000, the document added.

All the four award winners will receive a citation.

The scheme shall be administered by the Environment Ministry and it shall be operational for each financial year commencing from April 1 this year, the document said.

It said that books submitted for consideration under the scheme will be assessed by an 'Evaluation Committee' to be constituted by the ministry under the chairmanship of the additional secretary and other senior officers.

"The Evaluation Committee shall submit its recommendations to the secretary to the government," it added.