{{Short description|Two Telegu language organizations in India}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2026}} {{Use Indian English|date=July 2021}} The '''Telugu Academy''', known as the '''Telugu and Sanskrit Akademi''' ({{langx|te|తెలుగు మరియు సంస్కృత అకాడమీ|Telugu mariyu Saṁskr̥ta Akāḍamī|translit-std=ISO}}) in official materials and some sources, can refer to two institutes set up to promote the use of Telugu and develop, preserve, and modernize the language. The original one was set up by the Andhra Pradesh state government, while a new one using the original Hyderabad offices has been formed by the Telangana state government after bifurcation. The Academy has also became responsible for the creation and printing of school textbooks. This academy headquarters is located at [[Tirupati]], [[Andhra Pradesh]].

==History== [[File:Telugu Academy.jpg|thumb|Telugu Academy offices in Hyderabad]] A committee led by [[J. P. L. Gwynn]] was formed by the Andhra Pradesh government to "modernize" Telugu and make it the primary medium for administration and education in 1966 in light of the central government's decision to promote regional languages in the same fields. Based on the committee's recommendation and the central government's scheme, the state government created the Telugu Academy as a government institute for promoting Telugu in 1968.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Giri |first=Mehtab |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=32MYkZdZDNgC&q=Andhra+Pradesh+Telugu+Academy&pg=PA91 |title=Centre-state Relations in Higher Education with Reference to Andhra Pradesh |date=1992 |publisher=Northern Book Centre |isbn=978-81-7211-038-3 |page=91 |language=en}}</ref> [[P. V. Narasimha Rao]] started chairing the Academy the same year, possibly being the inaugural holder of the role.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lentz |first=Harris M. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D6HKAgAAQBAJ&q=Andhra+Pradesh+Telugu+Academy&pg=PA387 |title=Heads of States and Governments Since 1945 |date=2014-02-04 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-134-26490-2 |page=387 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Shiva Kumar Pinna|date=27 June 2020|access-date=2021-07-07|title=Remembering PV Narasimha Rao, first Telugu PM of country|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/remembering-pv-first-telugu-pm-of-country/articleshow/76653501.cms|website=The Times of India}}</ref> [[File:Petroglyph of Telugu Academy Inauguration.jpg|thumb|Petroglyph of Telugu Academy Inauguration]]

According to current chairperson [[Lakshmi Parvathi]], the institute printed only Telugu books until the 1998-99 school year, where it diversified into publishing maths, science and English textbooks as well.<ref name="TNM"/>

===Post bifurcation (2014-present)=== After the separation of Telangana, the Academy entered a state of limbo as although AP set up the institute and has regional centres throughout the state, the main office in Hyderabad was located in Telangana and it took responsibility for funding its operations. During this period, its activities were significantly slowed down. A court agreement was reached giving AP and TG a 58-42 split of the Academy's assets, and AP decided to rename its academy to "AP Telugu [[Sanskrit]] Akademi" and reestablish it in [[Tirupati]].<ref>{{cite web|first1=V. Pradeep|last1=Kumar|access-date=2021-07-07|title=Tirupati to get AP Telugu Sanskrit Akademi|url=https://www.thehansindia.com/andhra-pradesh/tirupati-to-get-ap-telugu-sanskrit-akademi-627782|date=13 June 2020|website=www.thehansindia.com}}</ref> The latter decision caused some objection from opposition parties and figures, who claimed that signified a reduction in the status of Telugu and that the Academy was already underfunded and would now have to make its budget stretch even further, while officials defended the change by pointing to the use of Sanskrit for technical vocabulary in Telugu.<ref name="TNM">{{cite web|access-date=2021-07-14|title=Explained: The controversy over renaming the 'Andhra Pradesh Telugu Akademi'|url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/explained-controversy-over-renaming-andhra-pradesh-telugu-akademi-152327|date=14 July 2021|website=The News Minute}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|access-date=2021-07-14|title=Andhra Pradesh government's move to add Sanskrit to Telugu Akademi gets mixed response|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/andhra-pradesh/2021/jul/12/andhra-pradesh-governments-move-to-add-sanskrit-to-telugu-akademi-gets-mixed-response-2328936.html|website=The New Indian Express}}</ref> [[Member of Parliament (India)|Member of parliament]] [[G. V. L. Narasimha Rao]] and actor-cum-politician [[Pawan Kalyan]] proposed that a separate Sanskrit academy should be set up instead.<ref name="TNM"/><ref>{{cite news|access-date=2021-07-14|title=BJP MP faults AP govt for renaming Telugu academy as Telugu & Sanskrit academy - Times of India|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/education/news/bjp-mp-faults-ap-govt-for-renaming-telugu-academy-as-telugu-sanskrit-academy/articleshow/84346416.cms|website=The Times of India|date=12 July 2021 }}</ref>

In 2019, the Academy was criticized for a 2016 book on the [[Telangana movement]] which had a significant number of factual and writing errors as well as contentious statements.<ref>{{cite news|first1=Koride|last=Mahesh |access-date=2021-07-07|title=Telugu Akademi book fails, ticks all the wrong answers|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/telugu-akademi-book-fails-ticks-all-the-wrong-answers/articleshow/70794899.cms|website=The Times of India|date=23 August 2019 }}</ref> Six months later, the Academy announced a panel to review and correct the issues.<ref>{{cite web|first1=Avinash|last1=Bhingarde|access-date=2021-07-07|title=Telugu Akademi begins review of Telangana Movement|url=https://www.thehansindia.com/news/cities/hyderabad/telugu-akademi-begins-review-of-telangana-movement-564270|date=16 September 2019|website=www.thehansindia.com}}</ref>

As part of the bifurcation, the Academy's assets were audited. It was found in 2021 that staff at a credit society where the institution had fixed deposits had embezzled {{INRConvert|600|m|lk=r|year=2021}} from the deposited funds.<ref>{{cite web|access-date=2023-04-20|title=Three held for duping Telugu Academy of Rs 60 crore|date=2 October 2021|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/telangana/2021/oct/02/three-held-for-duping-telugu-academy-of-rs-60-crore-2366623.html|website=The New Indian Express}}</ref>

==List of chairs== * [[P. V. Narasimha Rao]] (1968–1974)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://pvnr.telangana.gov.in/early-life-of-p-v-narashima-rao/|title=Early Life of P.V Narashima Rao|website=Government of Telangana}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pmindia.gov.in/en/former_pm/shri-p-v-narasimha-rao-2/|title=Shri P. V. Narasimha Rao &#124; Prime Minister of India|website=www.pmindia.gov.in}}</ref> * [[Lakshmi Parvathi]] (6 November 2019 – present) <ref>{{cite web|access-date=2021-07-07|title=Andhra govt appoints Lakshmi Parvati as Telugu Academy Chairperson |url=https://government.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/governance/andhra-govt-appoints-lakshmi-parvati-as-telugu-academy-chairperson/71948218|website=ETGovernment.com}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * [https://teluguakademi.telangana.gov.in/index.html Telangana Telugu Akademi]

[[Category:Linguistic research institutes in India]] [[Category:Organisations based in Andhra Pradesh]] [[Category:1968 establishments in Andhra Pradesh]] [[Category:Educational institutions established in 1968]]