Initiatives of National Book Trust, India in the times of Corona

Although the world at present is dealing with very difficult situation, and the publishing industry is facing tough times, however this is the period when we all need to work on the lines of promoting reading and ensuring people #StayIn and #StayHome.

On the occasion of World Book Day, I would like to inform the readers that the National Book Trust, India in its efforts to encourage people to read books while at home, is providing its select and best-selling titles for Free Download as part of its initiative of #StayHomeIndiaWithBooks! The 100+ books, in PDF format, can be downloaded from NBT’s website https://nbtindia.gov.in. Available in Hindi, English, and all Indian languages, and covering all genres, the initiative is majorly focussed on books for children and young adults.

Secondly, realising the extraordinary psychological, social, economic and cultural significance of Corona Pandemic for the human society in the times to come, NBT is ready to launch a publishing series titled ‘Corona Studies Series’ to document and to provide relevant reading materials for all age-groups for the post-Corona readership needs. The material is being readied by a Study Group comprising experienced psychologists/counsellors. The first sub-series is on ‘Psycho-Social Impact of Corona Pandemic and the Ways to Cope’. The Study Group is developing methodologies and practical tips to deal with situations, helped by easy-to-assimilate reading materials on various segments through research, virtual interviews and case studies. This shall help in overall empowerment and awareness to deal with the lockdown and keep the optimum emotional strength and courage.

We are working on bringing out both e-editions and printed editions of these books soon enough as support materials for the readers.

In addition, we are preparing children’s books to let them know about Our Corona Warriors, and other story and picture books related to various aspects of Corona to create awareness. Also, books focused on art, literature, folklore, economic and sociological aspects, science/health awareness emerging out of the Corona pandemic, and the lockdown, are also in the pipeline.

A Webinar on the occasion of World Book & Copyright Day is being organised jointly by NBT and FICCI on April 23rd to discuss issues of publishing industry and Reading needs post-Covid, as also the E-learning/digital publishing scenario and the requisite infrastructure available.
Also, we are in active discussion with Prasar Bharati for a Story-telling Programme for young readers.

Happy Reading!

Do check our regular updates on https://nbtindia.gov.in, @ndworldbookfair, https://www.instagram.com/nbtindia/