Lt Governor Tejendra Khanna inaugurates Delhi Book Fair

New Delhi, Sep 1 (UNI) Another edition of the Delhi Book fair, the annual treat for booklovers in the capital, kicked off today with Delhi Lt Governor Tejendra Khanna inaugurating the event.

Inaugurating the nine-day fair, being held at Delhi's Pragati Maidan, the Lt Governor said,''books are instruments for better understanding of human beings and of human knowledge. There is a need to nurture Indian intellectual tradition through book reading.'' On display at the event will be over 50,000 new books brought out by about 235 companies from the publishing sector, including 13 from overseas.

Being jointly organised by the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) with Federation of Indian Publishers, the Book Fair is aimed at inculcating and encouraging reading habits especially among children and youths.

In his inaugural address, the Lt Governor said parents should inculcate reading habits in their children so that they should take at least half an hour every day for quiet reading.

''Book reading leads to open mind, tolerance and humaneness,''he said.

Prof Gopi Chand Narang, President of Sahitya Academy was the Guest of Honour at the inaugural ceremony. Also present on the occasion were the Executive director of ITPO Rajeev Yadav and president of the federation of Indian publishers, Shakti Malik.

The event will have publishers from China, Pakistan, Iran, UAE, the US and Vietnam display best of their books.

On display at the fair will be books on education, academic, fiction, non-fiction, literature, children's books, dictionaries and encyclopedias) periodicals, magazines, journals, teaching aids and computer software.

Added attractions are the two concurrent fairs Stationary Fair and Sajavat 2007 which would display a wide range of stationery items, including writing instruments , home and office stationery, computer accessories like floppies, paper, ribbons, printing cartridges and educational aids while Sajavat will cover a comprehensive range of items, including furniture, household products and appliances, kitchenware, entertainment electronics, handicraft items, furnishings, cosmetics and toiletteries.

During the event 13 seminars willbe hosted covering all aspects of the book industry. Besides, there will be a number of book release functions, book quiz programmes, award ceremonies and painting competitions.

UNI