MALEEHA AKHTER / NEW DELHI
New Delhi World Book Fair began today after a two year hiatus at Pragati Maidan here. The 9-day mega fair was inaugurated by Minister of State for Education Dr Rajkumar Ranjan Singh. Several literary and cultural activities focusing on the theme ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’, are the part of the fair.
French culture, literature, heritage, and cuisine will be hallmark of the 31st edition of the New Delhi World Book Fair (NDWBF), as France has been invited as the guest of honour to this literary events
More than two thousand stalls have been set up and more than one thousand book publishers are participating in the fair. France has been designated as the Guest of Honour Country.
The G20 theme has been integrated with the World Book Fair and exhibitions of books from G20 member has also been displayed at the G-20 pavilion. Besides, National Education Policy Pavilion, Ed-Tech Zone, YUVA author corner, Foreign Pavilion, Children’s Pavilion, Authors Corners and Lekhak Manch are the centre of attraction for the book lovers.
Many seminars, conferences, book releases, literary and cultural programmes as well as various business-to-business events will be held on the sidelines of the book fair. During the fair, Publications Division is showcasing its ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ books collection, highlighting country’s freedom movement and remembering the freedom fighters who devoted their lives to the nation. Besides books, Publications Division’s popular and widely circulated journals such as Yojana, Kurukshetra, Aajkal and Bal Bharti are also available at the stall. Visitors can also purchase annual subscriptions of journals and Employment News or Rozgar Samachar published by the Division. The special complimentary Mann ki Baat booklets can also be collected from its stall.
The Division is also offering its premier Rashtrapati Bhavan series of books as well as speeches of Presidents, Vice Presidents and Prime Minister at the fair.
The timings of the fair will be from 11 AM to 8 PM and the people can enter the fair from Gate Numbers 4 and 10. Entry is free for school children, senior citizens and the differently-abled.