NEW DELHI: For the first time since its inception in 1972, the New Delhi World Book Fair (NDWBF) will offer free entry to all visitors to enhance its accessibility. The nine-day event will commence on Friday with a special focus on the armed forces and the valour they have displayed right from the 1947 Battle of Budgam to Operation Sindoor.
Over 20 lakh people are expected to visit the fair, which will be organised at the Bharat Mandapam. ‘Indian Military History: Valour and Wisdom @75’ will be the central highlight of the event, which will be inaugurated by Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. While Qatar will serve as the ‘Guest of Honour’ country, Spain will be the ‘Focus’ country. Over 1,000 publishers, authors and cultural institutions from 35 countries—including Russia, Poland, France, Abu Dhabi, Iran, Kazakhstan, Chile and Hungary—will take part in the fair, apart from a 30-strong delegation from Japan.
Milind Sudhakar Marathe, chairman of the National Book Trust (NBT), noted in a press briefing on Thursday, “For the first time in the history of the NBT, we are making entry to the fair absolutely free so that we can accommodate the maximum number of people from Delhi and around. It shows the NBT’s commitment to making book-reading accessible for all.”
Yuvraj Malik, director of the fair, said a pavilion of 1,000 square metres will honour the courage and sacrifice of the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force. Sessions on major wars and military operations will take place during the nine days.”
Kumar Vikram, joint director of NBT India, told this reporter, “The chiefs of the armed forces and the defence minister will be taking part in the event.” Dwelling on the legacy of the fair, he noted, “The event began as a biennial affair in Delhi in 1972, and it has been organised as an annual affair since 2012. Only one fair was missed in 2022 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.”
Over 600 literary activities will be conducted in which more than 1,000 speakers will take part. Former Union minister Smriti Irani, actor-turned-politician Hema Malini, music composer Ricky Kej and space traveller Shubhanshu Shukla are among the most prominent figures set to feature in the event.
Further, several activities have been planned to engage children, such as quizzes, theatre and storytelling.