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Published 23:55 IST, February 1st 2025

Reading Not Just A Hobby But A Transformative Experience: President Murmu Inaugurates New Delhi World Book Fair

President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday inaugurated the New Delhi World Book Fair 2025 in the national capital.

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President Murmu inaugurates New Delhi World Book Fair 2025
President Murmu inaugurates New Delhi World Book Fair 2025 | Image: Republic

New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday inaugurated the New Delhi World Book Fair 2025 in the national capital.

Sharing her own experience at the inauguration event held at Bharat Mandapam, President Murmu encouraged adults to foster love for reading among children for nation-building.

“Reading isn’t just a hobby; it’s a transformative experience. When you make a child enjoy reading, you contribute to nation building,” President Murmu said.

The President also mentioned that the Book Fair provides an excellent expression of India’s cultural diversity, its unity, and its impressive progress.

Republic@75: Theme of 2025 Edition  

The theme of the 2025 edition of the New Delhi World Book Fair is Republic @75.

It highlights the role of different institutions and that of a vibrant publishing ecosystem of our nation in strengthening India's republican values in the last 75 years.

A dedicated theme pavilion has been set up to celebrate the very first book of India as a republic, i.e. the Constitution of India, in unifying the nation through its foundational values. Among other facets of the Constitution, the exhibit also focuses on the artwork of the Constitution.

(President Murmu at New Delhi World Book Fair 2025) 

One of the largest book fairs in the world, the New Delhi World Book Fair 2025, was inaugurated in the presence of Russian Ambassador to India Denis Alipov, Dr. Alexei Varlamov a prominent Russian writer, Rector (Vice Chancellor) of Gorky Literary Institute, Moscow; Sanjay Kumar (IAS), Secretary, School Education & Literacy; Vineet Joshi (IAS), Secretary, Department of Higher Education; Prof. Milind Sudhakar Marathe, Chairman, National Book Trust, and Yuvraj Malik, Director, NBT.

Speaking at the Inauguration ceremony, Secretary School Education Sanjay Kumar reflected on language and literature’s role in shaping the world.

“As much as language and literature traverse across the world, this world becomes more beautiful,” he said.

He called the fair a bridge between cultures, with participation from France, Germany, the UK, the USA, and beyond.

“In many ways, this book fair mirrors the linguistic plurality of the nation,” he noted, emphasising India’s 46,000 public libraries and their role in making books accessible.

‘Russia and India United By Its Love For Stories’

The Russian Ambassador to India, Denis Alipov, began his address in Hindi, delighting both members of the audience and the dignitaries on stage.

He mentioned that the Book Fair is a great opportunity to explore new areas in the historic cooperation in literature between India and Russia.

“Moreover, both countries are united by our love of stories and belief in their power to transform lives,” said Denis Alipov, stressing the longstanding literary, economic, scientific, educational, and cultural partnership between India and Russia. 

Books from Russia, ‘Roos Si Aayi Kitaabein’, is a special attraction at the foreign pavilion with many books translated in Hindi. The stand has a collection of more than 1500 books reviving the memory of the generation of 60s and 70s with the best of children's books and the literary works of Leo Tolstoy, Fyodor Dostoevsky, and Pushkin.

NBT Chairman On New Delhi Book Fair 

Earlier in the day, Prof. Milind Sudhakar Marathe, Chairman, National Book Trust India, noted “Children have a special place in the world of books” during the inauguration ceremony when introducing the Children’s Pavilion.
He added that the through the “Books for all” initiative, NBT, India, aims at being inclusive with all its offerings, including audiobooks and publications in braille. 

Day 1 of the New Delhi World Book Fair 2025 hosted eminent personalities like Russian writer Evgeny Vodolazkin, novelist and journalist Anuradha Roy, novelist Catherine Chidgey, and New Zealand Deputy High Commissioner Mathew Ayers (moderator). 

On Feb 2, the fair will have sessions led by noted Indian filmmaker Prakash Jha, and renowned inspirational speaker and author Shiv Khera, among other renowned personalities. 

The New Delhi World Book Fair 2025 will see participation from various countries across the globe, like New Zealand, Germany, Lithuania, Spain, UAE, Israel, Nepal, Japan, Hong Kong, Poland, Egypt, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Iran, Australia, Iran, USA, UK, France, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the Russian Federation in different events, exhibitions, and seminars.

New Delhi World Book Fair To Be Held Till Feb 9

NDWBF 2025 is being held from February 1 to 9, 2025, at Halls 2 to 6, Bharat Mandapam, from 11.00 am to 8.00 pm.

Entry is free for children in school uniform, for senior citizens, and for differently abled. Tickets are available at select Metro stations and the DMRC Momentum 2.0 Delhi Saarthi app.

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Updated 00:32 IST, February 2nd 2025