New Delhi, 10 January. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated the 53rd New Delhi World Book Fair 2026 at the Bharat Mandapam here on Saturday. During the inauguration ceremony he started the program by playing the tambourine. On this occasion, he said that the Delhi Book Fair, which has been organized continuously for the last 53 years, has today become a prestigious and reliable platform in the publishing world.
New Delhi World Book Fair 2026, Inauguration Ceremony, Bharat Mandapam.
— Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) January 10, 2026
Dharmendra Pradhan in his address said that today India has emerged as the third largest publishing and book trading center in the world, which shows the intellectual and cultural strength of the country. Referring to the thoughts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said that PM Modi always says, ‘If you study, you will lead.’ The government is paying special attention to strengthening the reading culture in the country. He clarified that increasing reading culture is one of the priorities of the government.
Book published based on the sacrifice of Chaabil Sai, brother of Veer Surendra Sai
The Union Minister said that in the beginning of the 19th century, Chabil Sai, brother of Veer Surendra Sai, sacrificed his life in Kudopali in a major struggle against the British in Sambalpur, Odisha. The story of this sacrifice has now been published as a book, which has been translated into many foreign languages. He congratulated the National Book Trust (NBT) for this initiative.
Today I had the privilege of inaugurating the ‘New Delhi World Book Fair 2026’ in the presence of Qatar’s Culture Minister, HE Abdulrahman Bin Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Al Thani, Spain’s Culture Minister, HE Ernest Urtasun Domènech and other distinguished guests. The world’s largest B2C book fair,… pic.twitter.com/x5nipM0TvY
— Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) January 10, 2026
From National e-Library under Digital India 23 in languages 6,000 free e-books
Referring to the digital era, Dharmendra Pradhan said that today the government’s aim is to make knowledge accessible and inclusive, where language becomes a bridge and not a barrier. Under this thinking, initiatives like National e-Library are realizing the vision of Digital India. He said that more than 6,000 free e-books will be available in more than 23 languages on these platforms, which also include features like text-to-speech.
Union Minister Pradhan also mentioned the 150th anniversary of ‘Vande Mataram’. He said, ‘Vande Mataram sung by Omkarnath Thakur on All India Radio was not just a musical presentation but a cultural celebration of the birth of independent India. This historical heritage is being displayed today in the Delhi World Book Fair, which connects us with the past and shows the direction of the future.
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