The following distinguished judges have generously consented to serve on the panel for the National Poetry and Short Story Writing Competition 2026, organised by Afflatus Creations in association with the Department of English, Jawahar Science College, Neyveli, Tamil Nadu.
All judging is independent. Scores are awarded on the basis of agreed criteria and averaged across the panel. The decision of the panel is final.
Dr. Julia Devardhi is an Assistant Professor in English Language and Literature with over four decades of experience in teaching, research, and academic administration. She served as Principal of Nalanda Educational Institutions, Hyderabad, and as Assistant Professor at Haramaya University, Ethiopia (2002–2015), where she advised Master’s-level research scholars as both Major and Co-Advisor.
An independent researcher with thirty published papers in international journals covering language, literature, education, and communication, Dr. Devardhi is also an Associate Editor and Editorial Board Member of several international journals of English Language and Literature. She holds postgraduate qualifications from Osmania University and Madurai Kamraj University, and specialist teaching certifications from the Central Institute of English and Foreign Languages, Hyderabad.
Her book reviews include a critique of Annie Gagiano’s Dealing with Evils and a review of Rajiv Khandelwal’s poetry collection Dwelling with Denial, demonstrating her engagement with both international and Indian literary voices.
Prof. (Dr.) Nilofar Akhtar is a Professor of English at M.B. Government P.G. College, Haldwani, Uttarakhand, with over 24 years of experience in teaching, research, and academic leadership. She has successfully supervised doctoral research, authored and edited scholarly works, and published extensively in reputed national and international journals.
Her research interests span Indian English Literature, Literary Theory, Postcolonial Studies, Women’s Studies, and Ecocriticism — an area of particular relevance to a competition themed on Nature. She has served as keynote speaker, resource person, and conference organiser, and has held several positions of academic leadership at the institutional level.
Anuradha Bannore is a bilingual writer, poet, and retired educationist from Jabalpur. Holding degrees in B.Sc., M.A. (English), and B.Ed., she devoted nearly three decades to the teaching of English — serving as Senior Teacher in the Higher Secondary Section for 28 years and later as Acting Principal before her retirement. She has also taught English at Baroda Productivity and The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda.
Her literary interests encompass poetry and short fiction, with a special focus on nature and human behaviour. Her poems have appeared in Dr. Stephen Gill’s online journal Writers Lifeline and the International Journal of Multidisciplinary Literature, and her poems, short stories, and photographs have been published in Indian Periodical. She continues to pursue her passion for literature from her home in Jabalpur.
Nilakshi Borgohain is the author of two novels:
and two short story collections:
She has also published two poetry collections, from the alcove and flower poems.
Her work has appeared in The Indian Literature (Sahitya Akademi), The India Perspective (Ministry of External Affairs), The Sunday Statesman, and Asia Magazine (Seoul), among others.
A passionate nature lover, Nilakshi Borgohain brings to her fiction a profound reverence for the natural world, rendered through lyrical and vivid imagery. She is ideally placed to assess short story entries for a competition themed on Nature.
Website: www.nilakshiborgohain.org
Nilakshi Borgohain is the author of two novels:
and two short story collections:
Dr. Purnima Bhatnagar is a Professor of English (Retd.) with 44 years of teaching, research, and academic leadership in higher education. She served in eight Government Colleges under the Uttarakhand Higher Education Department and retired in 2024 after an exemplary academic career.
Her areas of specialisation include Indo-English Literature, Linguistics, Sri Aurobindo Studies, and Modern Indian Poetry in English. A prolific scholar, she has published numerous research papers in peer-reviewed journals and successfully supervised several PhD scholars who now serve in higher education institutions. She has also served the Uttarakhand Public Service Commission as paper setter, evaluator, reviewer, and moderator.
Currently, she promotes literature through her Hindi audio storytelling channel, Gulistan Kahaniyon Ka, reflecting her enduring commitment to literary scholarship and creative expression.
