Authorities of the Akademi:

1. General Council
2. Executive Board
3. Finance Committee
4. Selection of Akademi Members

Sahitya Akademi's General Council

The supreme authority of the Akademi vests in the General Council which consists of 99 members made up as follows:

1. President  of  Sahitya Akademi
2. Vice President of Sahitya Akademi (elected from among its members)
3. Financial Adviser
4. Five members nominated by the the Government of India
5. Thirty-five representatives of the States of the Union of India and Union Territories
6. Twenty-four representatives of the languages recognized by the Sahitya Akademi
7. Twenty representatives of the Universities of India
8. Eight persons elected by the General Council for their eminence in the field of letters
9. One representative each of the Sangeet Natak Akademi, The Lalit Kala Akademi, The Indian Council for Cultural Relations, The Federation of Indian Publishers and The Raja Rammohan Roy Library Foundation.

The general policy of the Sahitya Akademi and basic principles of programmes are laid down by the General Council and implemented under the direct supervision of an Executive Board. There is an Advisory Board for each language consisting of 10 eminent writers and scholars on whose advice the specific programme in the language concerned is formulated and implemented.

The tenure of the General Council is five years. The Present General Council, the twelfth since the inauguration of the Akademi, had its first session in February 2008. The General Council elects the President, the Vice-President, the members of the Executive Board representing languages, and one representative of the General Council on the Finance Committee of the Sahitya Akademi. Advisory Boards for various languages are appointed by the Executive Board.

Members of General Council

Sahitya Akademi's Executive Board

The Executive Board shall consist of the following members, namely;

1. The President of  Sahitya Akademi
   
2. The Vice President of  Sahitya Akademi
   
3. The Financial Adviser
   
4. Two members nominated by the Government of India from among their nominees on the General Council
   
5. One person to represent each of the languages enumerated in the Constitution of India and such other languages as may be recognized by the Akademi elected by the General Council from among its members.

The President may, at his discretion, invite to any meeting of the Executive Board, a member of the General Council in the interest of encouraging languages other than those referred to in the preceding sentence and involving them more closely with the activities of the Akademi.

Members Of Executive Board

Sahitya Akademi's Finance Committee

The Finance Committee shall consist of the following members, namely:

1. The Financial Adviser
   
2. One nominee of the Government of India not necessarily from among the members of the General Council
   
3. One representative of the General Council (other than the Vice President) of the Akademi
   
4. One nominee of the Executive Board not necessarily from among members of the General Council
   
5. The Vice President of the Akademi who shall ex-officio be the Chairperson of the Finance Committee.

Members of Finance Committee