Shri Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, Minister of State for Education, Government of India inaugurated New Delhi World Book Fair 2023 today. H.E. Mr Emmanuel Lenain, Ambassador of France to India, Mr Vincent Montagne, President, Syndicat National de LEdition, France, Ms Annie Ernaux, Nobel Laureate, France, Shri Pradeep Singh Kharola, Chairman and Managing Director, ITPO, and Shri Yuvraj Malik, Director NBT-India also graced the occasion.

 

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Ranjan said that  books play an essential role in our lives, broaden our horizons and allow us to travel the world while staying in one place.

He expressed his happiness to welcome France as our Guest of Honor country. As a part of this platform, hundreds of authors, publishers, book lovers, and eminent personalities from not only India but all across the world will be a part of this harmonious amalgamation of literature and culture., he said.

Shri Ranjan further said that this year's theme is Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, which commemorates 75 years of India’s independence and marks the beginning of our journey towards Amrit Kaal. As we mark 75 years of independence, the National Book Trust, India has also released the India@75 series to honor our freedom fighters who sacrificed their lives for the nation. The PM-YUVA Mentorship Scheme was also launched to train India's young authors, with the theme of unsung heroes during the Indian national movement, while also paying tribute to those who perished.

He also said that it is a matter of immense pleasure that to mark India’s G20 Presidency, there is also a dedicated G20 pavilion as part of the Fair, in which a wide range of books from the G20 nations are on display for the public to explore. He informed that this year, the fair will also have an NEP pavilion to mark the successful introduction of the National Education Policy 2020. For the implementation of this policy, which is based on practical knowledge and is student-interest friendly, the central, state, and regional institutions of the country are taking innovative and effective steps, which will also be presented, he added.

Shri Ranjan also inaugurated the Theme Pavilion in Hall No. 5 after a guided walk through the G-20 and Foreign Pavilions as well as the Children’s and Language Publishers Pavilion. Shri Ranjan also interacted with the 75 PM YUVA delegates — who were selected following a competition and mentored by established authors under the Prime Minister’s YUVA (Young Upcoming Versatile Author) scheme.  

The New Delhi World Book Fair - one of the largest book fairs in the world - is back in all its glory to regale booklovers. Organized by National Book Trust, India, in collaboration with ITPO the NDWBF 2023 is being held from 25 February to 5th March 2023 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.

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