On the evening of 17th May 2024, The Institute of Social and Cultural Studies at the Institute’s Interactive Zone organized a Coffee Meet with, Chairman Shri Milind Sudhakar Marathe and Shri Yuvraj Malik, Director of National Book Trust (NBT), Ministry of Education, Government of India.

The exclusive meeting initiated with the address by Shri Milind Sudhakar Marathe who featured the imperatives of National Book Trust, referring to how it has evolved over a period of time defining it as a powerhouse of publication and catering a vital platform for young writers, editors, readers to conglomerate under the literary canopy designed by NBT. He further narrated that apart from publishing books, NBT’s initiatives of organizing various literature meet across the country as well as the international level.

Adding more to Chairman’s context Shri Yuvraj Malik, Director, NBT narrated about multiple challenges faced by the NBT in procuring content and also in the process of publication. He noted that India, like its geography, has tremendous diversity in its literary work and therefore the main thrust of the NBT lies towards the procurement of these exclusive literary work, taking adequate steps to publish it and enhancing its outreach through technology, book fairs and literature fests.

Though the organized meet remained confined amongst the small unit of people comprising of academicians, book publishers, writers, journalists and civil society actors. Who did elucidate about multiple dimensions, collaborative initiatives and modalities that the NBT should undertake to ignite the alacrity of reading among the young generations, in response to which Shri Malik responded about the school activities undertaken by the various school across country in collaboration with NBT to engage young generation in reading–through vernacular publications, organizing book fairs, engaging aspiring writers through story telling sessions and literary sessions. The discussion enlisted about the number of IT initiatives taken up by NBT with respect to editing, translation and transcending outreach of monographs.

The close knitted session also discussed other multiple activities to enhance the publication sector which has witnessed a tunnel of darkness especially after COVID-19. The session ended with a vote of Thanks by Shri Arindam Mukherjee, Director ISCS who mentioned about institute’s proclivity of organizing more such meets in coming times to engage multi-sectoral communities towards the knowhow about multiple enterprises – experience sharing by experts to denote their contributions in ushering country’s development.