Annual Subscription Rs 5.00; 50 paise per copy May 2017 • Vol 35 No. 5

Contents Literary Festival at

Literary Festival at Cuttack 1-2 Storytelling for Children 2-3 Bologna Children’s Book Fair 3 National Book Festival at Hyderabad 4 Seminar on Children’s Literature 4 Literary Programme at Ranchi 5 Obituary 5 Self-help Books @ NDWBF 6 Excerpts ational Book Trust, India Sriramchandra Bhavan, Cuttack from 7 Ncelebrated National Book Festival 23 – 25 March 2017. “In the process,” in March 2017 across the country. she said, “NBT has been instrumental During the Festival special exhibitions in enriching and Pick of the Month of NBT’s publications, book release literature.” functions, seminars, workshops for “Bringing in quality books to children, storytelling sessions for readers at their doorstep,” Dr Pratibha children, cultural programmes, etc. Ray added, “NBT has been able to were organised across the country. The create a large readership.” programmes were organised in New Dr. Ray also expressed her Delhi, , Punjab, Telangana and happiness over NBT’s role in promoting Uttar Pradesh. the mainstream Odia writers at national “NBT plays an important role level and bringing out an exclusive not only in promoting reading habit anthology of short stories by young and popularising books, but also by women writers of Odisha. bringing out quality Odia books, both On this occasion NBT books in originals as well as translations,” said Odia language viz. Faturanandanka Dr. , noted litterateur and Shrestha Hasyagalpa, Biography of Jnanpith awardee while inaugurating Binod Kanungo; Nabalekhan: Odia the three-day literary festival held at Lekhikanka Kshudragalpa and Odia A Touch of Glass Sukanya Datta 978-81-237-7960-7; Rs 235 MAY 2017 NBT NEWSLETTER 1 translation of Nabalakhan: Bangla Birendra Mohanty and Dr Govind other speakers on the occasion included Galpa Sankalan and A Simple Life of Chandra Chand participated in the well-known Odia writers including Swami Vivekananda were released. symposium. The speakers observed Shri Nanda Kishore Singh, Shri Goura Prof. Sanghamitra Mishra, the that imagination is the lifeline of the Pattnaik, Dr Sricharan Mohanty, Shri compiler of the Nabalekhan: Odia children’s literature as it develops Manoj Pattnaik among others. The Lekhikanka Kshudragalpa; Dr. creativity in children. Dr Maheswar speakers talked about the inherent Dhaneswar Sahu, eminent educationist; Mohanty, noted children’s litterateur music of Odia poetry and talked about Shri Jagabandhu Mishra, a prominent and Sahitya Akademi presided over rich poetic tradition of Odisha since journalist and member of NBT’s Odia the function. Shri Pradipta Kishore ancient times. Advisory Panel; Prof. Nityananda Mohanty, Programme Assistant, The function was presided over by Swain, well-known writer also spoke on Cuttack BPC proposed the vote of Shri Gourahari Dalei, President, Odia the occasion. Dr. Bijayananda Singh, thanks. Geetikabi Samaj. President, Utkal Sahitya Samaj presided Four Odia translations of the NBT Members of Odia Geetikabi over the programme. books for children including From Samaj, Shri A Maheswar Rao, Shri On the second day of the festival, Pumpkins to Pickles, Aankho Dekhi, Shekhar Ghosh, Sushree Deepti Dash, a symposium on ‘Odia Children’s Rintu and His Compass and The Lost Ant Shri Paramananda Sahu and Shri Literature: The Flight of Imagination’ were released on the occasion. Sukant Pradhan presented some Odia was held on 24th March 2017. Shri On the concluding day, a lyrics with music. The function came Nadia Behari Mohanty, Sahitya symposium on ‘Odia Lyric: A Quest to an end with a vote of thanks by Academy awardee was the chief guest for Musical Beauty’ was held in Smt Sandhya Mitra of Odia Geetikabi on the occasion. Noted writers in collaboration with Odia Geetikabi Samaj. contemporary Odia children’s literature Samaj, an organisation of Odia lyricists The Festival was organised in including, Dr Sunamani Rout, Shri of the state. Prof. Santanu Kumar collaboration with Utkal Sahitya Manas Ranjan Samal, Smt Minakshi Acharya, an eminent Odia author was Samaj. Dr Pramod Sar, Odia Editor, Devi, Smt Anasuya Nanda, Shri the chief guest on the occasion. The NBT coordinated the event. Storytelling for Children s part of National Book Festival, Prakash Manu said, “He was fascinated ANational Book Trust, India towards books since his childhood organized a session on storytelling and and always looked for an opportunity creative writing for children at Pragati to read books.” “However,” he said, Maidan on 23 March 2017. “Unlike these days, books were not Shri Prakash Manu, well-known available easily. We could find only a few children’s writer, and Ms Fouzia, well books with black & white illustrations known storyteller, were the special in school library.” He remarked that guests on the occasion. During the good reading habit which he developed programme they interacted with the in the childhood helped him become a children and shared their experience in writer. storytelling and story writing. Shri Prakash Manu appreciated Recalling his childhood days, Shri that now a large number of books on

2 NBT NEWSLETTER MAY 2017 wide range of topics in beautiful Sharing her experience as a formats and colour illustrations storyteller she said, “To become are available for the young a storyteller, one need not be minds. He added that children a writer. One has to read a must take advantage of this fact story over and over again to and read more and more books understand the characters of as reading helps in becoming the story well and how they a good writer. He also told express themselves in different children that they can create manner.” She added that their own stories by observing before presenting a story, the people and situations around storyteller must read the story them. loudly at least four to five times. Later, Ms Fouzia, the first More than 200 students woman Dastango of modern from Kendriya Vidyalaya, times, narrated a story titled Pitampura; Sarvodayay School, ‘Kajari Gayen Phisalpatti Par’ to Anand Vihar and from various NGOs the children. The people present on participated in the event. the occasion were mesmerized by Shri Dwijendra Kumar, Dr her performance of Dastangoi, an Kamlesh Kumari and Ms Surekha interesting form of storytelling which Sachdeva, Editors at NBT coordinated dates back to the 16th Century. the programme. Bologna Children’s Book Fair ational Book Trust, India Entitled ‘Sharing a Future: Nparticipated in the 54th Books in Catalan in Bologna edition of Bologna Children’s 2017’ and organised by the Book Fair organised at Bologna, Institut Ramon Llull with the Italy, from 3 -6 April 2017. collaboration, the guest of The Fair provides platform honour presentation highlighted to the publishing industry for the quality of illustrations in B2B activities like the trade in Catalonia and the Balearic copyrights, etc. The Fair also islands and a wide range of provides unique opportunity books in the Catalan language to the participants and the for children and young people. visitors to discover the latest The other highlights of developments in the sector, meet the Fair were the Illustrators’ the leading illustrators and Exhibition where the works authors and the winners of the most participated in the Fair. Catalonia and of 75 illustrators, from 26 different prestigious awards. the Balearic Islands, were the Guests countries, representing diverse cultures, The Trust displayed over 150 select of Honour at the Fair which have a sensibilities and styles were displayed; books in English and Hindi from long tradition of publishing books for Bologna Digital Media where various publishers across the country. children and young people since 15th international brands like Google and The visitors including publishers at century. Amazon discussed about augmented the Fair showed keen interest reality, creative technology and the and appreciated the books new printing and digital services; representing children’s content a number of workshops, seminars of India. Publishers from USA and debates were organised in and UK expressed their desire which noted publishers, authors, to buy NBT’s Punjabi books; illustrators, and translators and rights of two NBT books participated. titled My Umma’s Sari and Ravan Shri Kamal Ahmed, Hindi respectively. Editor and Shri Samaresh This year, 1300 exhibitors Chatterjee, Senior Artist, from over 75 countries represented NBT at the Fair.

MAY 2017 NBT NEWSLETTER 3 National Book Festival at Hyderabad o commemorate 60 Classes; Shri D Prabhakar Tyears of its foundation, Rao, Chairman, Official National Book Trust, India Language Committee, in association with Dept. of Telangana; Dr B Sayanna, Language and Culture, Govt. Director, State Resource of Telangana organized several Centre, Telangana and programmes during National well-known authors like Book Festival at Ravindra Sh. Jukanti Jagannatham, Bharathi, Saifabad, Hyderabad Dr Shajahana, Sh. Reddi from 22-27 March, 2017. Ragavaiah among others. Prof. N. Gopi, Sahitya Besides, a workshop on Akademi awardee and book review for university Member, NBT Telugu students; essay and painting Advisory Panel inaugurated competitions for school the Festival. He appreciated NBT’s NBT books were released including children were also organized. Over two efforts in organizing special book Navalekan Telugu Short Story Anthology, hundred students from various schools exhibitions. He also suggested that Jhoot Ka Thailaand Nanhe Kargosh Ki and colleges participated in these such exhibitions may also be organised Buddhimani. The special guests at the events. in every district and remote area of the release functions included, Shri BS Dr. Pathipaka Mohan, Telugu state for fostering reading culture. Ramulu, noted writer and Chairman, Editor, NBT, coordinated the events During the festival a number of Telangana Commission for Backward organized during the Festival. Seminar on Children’s Literature

ational Book Trust, Singh Asht, noted children’s NIndia in collaboration writer; Shri Anil Jaiswal, with Kamla Nehru Women’s Associate Editor, Nandan; College, Phagwara organized Ms Rashmi Khurana, former a seminar on children’s Assistant Station Director, literature at Phagwara, AIR, Jalandhar; and well- Punjab. known litterateurs including During the seminar, the Ms Renu Chauhan, Dr panelists discussed about Kamlesh Bharti, Dr Preet the different aspects of the Arora; Ms Rupika Bhanot children’s literature and its and Shri Devendra Mewari, status in contemporary times. were the special guests on the They also spoke about the occasion. need to bring out books reflecting books. They stressed on the need to Two NBT books for children the changes that the society is going bring children closer to books. They authored by Vishnu Prabhakar and through. observed that parents can play an active Amar Goswami were also released on The speakers were also of the view role in inculcating the habit of reading this occasion. that today children have many options amongst children. The programme was coordinated for recreational activities, which is Dr Kiran Walia, Principal, Kamla by Shri Pankaj Chaturvedi, Hindi diminishing their interest in reading Nehru Women’s College; Shri Darshan Editor, NBT.

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4 NBT NEWSLETTER MAY 2017 Literary Programme at Ranchi ational Book Trust, reading books. NIndia organized a The other speakers 2-day literary programme on the occasion were Shri during Ranchi Book Fair Shravan Kumar Goswami, from 6 to 7 March, 2017. Ms Mahua Maji, and Shri The programme comprised Ashok Priyadarshi, all of a discussion and a poets’ well-known authors. Later, meet. NBT’s recent publication The discussion titled titled Jo Khud Kasauti ‘Significant Role of Ban Gaye, authored by Libraries in Developing Shri Prakash Manu was Reading Culture’ was released. organized on 6 March On 7th March 2017, a 2017. Dr Ramesh Kumar poets’ meet was organized Pandey, Vice Chancellor, Padam Shri Balbir Dutt presided in which well-known poets Ranchi University was the chief guest over the discussion. He remarked that in from across the state participated, on the occasion. He said that libraries recent times, there is a need to establish including Sarvashri Kumar Brijendra, play a significant role in creating libraries in large numbers as with the Praveen Parimal, Naresh Banka; readership, therefore more and more development of new technologies, Siyaram Jha ‘Saras’, Vijay Ranjan, libraries should be established to the youth is more inclined towards Veena Srivastav; Sarika Bhushan and promote reading culture. Internet and electronic media than Rashmi Sharma. Obituary eteran anti-apartheid activist, is a compilation of the beautiful letters VAhmed Kathrada passed away sent between Rivonia trialist and on 28 March 2017 after a brief political prisoner Ahmed Kathrada illness. Born on August 21, 1929, and Zuleikha Mayat, a self-described to Indian immigrant parents in the housewife, during apartheid’s last small northwestern farming town of decade among others. Schweizer-Reneke, also known as the Besides, he had authored the City of Sunflowers, Kathrada was the book, No Bread for Mandela: Memoirs fourth of six children. Owing to their of Ahmed Kathrada, published by the Indian heritage and the policies of the National Book Trust, India, which gives time, Kathrada could not attend either a vivid picture of Kathrada’s lifelong the European or African schools in the battle for justice in South Africa. area. Nelson Mandela wrote in his Beginning his political career at a Foreword to this book: “Ahmed very young age, Kathrada took part Kathrada has been so much part of in many protests. At the age of 34, my life over such a long period that he was imprisoned for life along with awarded Isitwalandwe, the highest it is inconceivable that I could allow fellow revolutionaries Nelson Mandela, award bestowed by the ANC, and the him to write his memoirs without me Walter Sisulu, Govan Mbeki and seven Presidential Order for Meritorious contributing something, even if only other defendants. He spent 26 years Service; Class 1: Gold. He was made a through a breif foreword. Our stories and three months in prison, serving 18 Freeman of the City of Johannesburg. have become so interwoven that the of those years on Robben Island off the His published books include telling of one without the voice of the coast of Cape Town. A Free Mind: Ahmed Kathrada’s other being heard somewhere would After his release from prison in Notebook from Robben Island, have led to an incomplete narration.” 1989, he was elected as a member of which is a collection of poetry, “Delightful and often amusing parliament and served as parliamentary novels, songs, sayings and letters that anecdotes of the life of a very self- counsellor to President Mandela. In Kathrada transcribed and kept while effacing and yet deeply committed 1994, he was elected chairperson of a prisoner on Robben Island; Dear freedom fighter,” wrote Archbishop the Robben Island Council. He was Ahmedbhai, Dear Zuleikhabehn which Desmond Tutu.

MAY 2017 NBT NEWSLETTER 5 Self-help Books @ NDWBF xcel Books whose motto is happiness, grief or fear because E“Helping individuals make when we are emotional we a greater amount of their lives cannot focus clearly and think through learning”, two new books logically at the same time.” namely The Ethical Compass by Referring to the grief of Bansi Dhar Singh and Sanshipt Gandhari as an example, the Gita Gyan were released by the author said that it led her to Chairman of the National Book take two wrong decisions that Trust, Shri Baldeo Bhai Sharma brought even more grief into her in the presence of Director Rita life. Lack of communication or Chowdury, Binny Goel and bad communication is one of the Rajiv Thakur (Jaipuria Institute of The authors stressed on the need key reasons that lead to breakdown of Management, Noida), at an event held for an individual to find time to reflect relationships. Communication is about at the New Delhi World Book Fair. in solitude; many answers come to us speaking the same language as the need The book discusses the use of from silence. All pain, fear and anger, of the hour. It is important to first to ethics in various walks of life and that it is from within. It is crucial to know connect and then communicate, added is the conscious choice of an individual what is happening within oneself as it the author. to practice it. When human morals are helps one to relate to what is happening degrading steadily nowadays, it is a very around. n an event organized by Sage timely arrival, a treasure-box of wisdom IPublishing, Sameer Dua discussed his from the older generation who has ingerprint Publishing organised a book, Declaring Breakdowns, while in harnessed the knowledge of ethical and Fdiscussion on ‘Practical Wisdom— conversation with Parag Aggarwal and moral values to be inculcated in our How to Lead through Satisfying Lt. General Sharma. The book provides day to day lives. The programme was Relationships’ with Shubash Vilas, a simple 6-step framework to actively organised by Excel Books at Author’s the author of the book Open Eyed create a future of one’s choice and is Corner, Hall No. 18. Meditations. The book is a compilation about mastering the art and science of of practical lessons of life from the generating breakthroughs in each area he authors of the book Navigating stories of Ramayana and Mahabharata. of our lives. One should take control of Tthe Maze, Bharat Wakhlu, Savita According to the author, we one’s future by taking correct decisions Bhan Wakhlu, were in conversation can maintain good and satisfying to bring about positive changes, says with Brahmachari Purushottam and relationships in life by following a few Sameer Dua. He reflected about the Saloni at an event organised by Sage small but vital steps in our day to day time when his wife walked out on him Publishing, at Authors’ Corner, at life. The first and foremost tenet to because she had reached the end of her the Fair. The book is about living a observe in any relationship is the line patience. meaningful life while achieving success. of respect. Once that line is crossed, On the other hand the author Focusing on three key ideas: Self- the relationship starts breaking down. had not realized the disconnect that mastery, Interpersonal Excellence and He cited the story of Krishna and prevailed in the relationship. But the World of Work, the book introduces Shishupala from Mahabharata as a instead of blaming the external cause the right skills and capabilities in these point of reference. Regarding decisions that he could not handle, he took it three areas of life for professionals that we take at every point of life, the upon himself to reform and repair primed for fast-tracking success. author said, “it is imperative not to the relationship by forming a 5 AM Using a non-jargon, no-nonsense make decisions induced by extreme Club comprising of people who took approach, Bharat and Savita use their decisions that completely transformed cumulative experience of over five the trajectory of their current life. decades in coaching and mentoring Instead of playing the blame game, to help professionals navigate their one should take responsibility for way to success. A useful tool for the betterment of their own life. leaders of businesses, professionals Time is a fixed entity and we have of all stages, the book contains to become aware of what matters anecdotes, stories, questions and and prioritize our commitments answer to help the reader get over time spent doing meaningless an easy understanding of the things that do nothing for things concepts. we care about.

6 NBT NEWSLETTER MAY 2017 Excerpts

NBT India has recently brought Using photoelectron spectrometer, the fluorescent displays in ultraviolet, out the revised edition of Nano: The researchers have studied the pattern of visible and infrared need different band Next Revolution. The book under electronic structure in nanoparticles. gap materials. Manipulation of the Popular Science series, written by The pattern is studied when the electrons band gap of certain materials would Mohan Sundara Rajan, explains are ejected under ultraviolet light or make them suitable for use in solar the basics of the new technology, X-rays. The researchers could estimate cells. its historical development and the and control not only the individual Following the preparation and ongoing advances, including the particle size but also the electronic analysis of various nanoparticles, the pioneering work done in India. structure of different materials. Based group has demonstrated their utility Herein we reproduce an excerpt on their findings, the researchers alter in devices such as a photon (light) from the chapter ‘Nanomaterials: the composition of their samples and sensor based on cadmium sulphide. Wonders Unlimited’. - Editor evaluate the variation in size, shape and Basically they shine light on certain inter-particle separation distance in materials and get current. Research in he Indian Institute of Science, materials. this field is continuing. Some of the TBangalore is actively involved It is known from basic quantum projects are aimed at preparation of in the study of nanotechnology in its mechanics that the energy level spacing high luminescent nanoparticles with various departments. The Solid State or the band gap in materials increases different luminescence wavelengths, and Structural Chemistry Unit of the as their dimension is reduced. There understanding the growth mechanisms Institute is engaged in research on is no band gap in a metal between of the nanoparticles and preparation of semiconducting nanoparticles since the the conduction band and the valence different shapes of nanoparticles such early 1990s. Researchers of the Unit band. In a semiconductor, (silicon) the as spheres, rods and pyramids. have been able to control the size of electrons need enough energy to cross The Department of Physics of nanoparticles and study their electronic the band gap for electrical conduction. the Indian Institute of Science is also and optical properties, as a function of It is possible to ‘tailor-make’ materials actively enagaged in the study of the size of the nanoparticles. with varying band gap as a function of nanoscience. It reviews the structural, The basic aim of the Unit is to size. The research is significant because electronic, vibrational and mechanical study the fundamental processes electronic devices with different band properties of single-wall carbon through experiments. The researchers gaps have different applications. For nanotube bundles. Its studies and have prepared and controlled the size example, telecommunications need experiments have validated the predicted of cadmium sulphide, zinc sulphide, very low band gap in the infrared remarkable mechanical resilience of the lead sulphide, cadmium selenide, zinc region; biological applications require nanotubes. The Department has also selenide and zinc oxide nanoparticles. fluorescence in the green region conducted studies using an atomic The size of the nanoparticles can (avoiding the ultraviolet rays that may force microscope. The Metallurgy be varied from 1.5 nm to 7 nm. The destroy biological molecules). Similarly, Division has done several experiments Unit has the distinction of being one of on nano-sized particles dispersed in a the first to report on the details of the matrix, called nanoembedded materials electronic structure of nanoparticles. or nanocomposites. They represent a The detailed electronic structure has new class of nanoscaled materials. It been elucidated. was found that the reduction of length A group in the Unit has been able scale and introduction of interfaces to combine high-quality chemical greatly influence the stability and synthesis and experimental skills with transformation behaviour of metals. extensive theoretical investigations. The Many industrially useful processes have group has synthesised various doped made use of this feature. nanoparticles by mixing the materials The Centre for Nano Science with cobalt, copper, manganese, etc. and Engineering (CeNSE) was Doping has been found to yield useful established at the Indian Institute of electronic and optical properties. Science, Bengaluru in 2010 to pursue The group uses a wide range of interdisciplinary research across techniques based on transmission several disciplines with a focus on and scanning electron microscopes, Nano: The Next Revolution nanoscale systems. A state-of-the art low and wide angle X-ray diffraction, Mohan Sundara Rajan nanofabrication facility is located at the Raman and infrared spectroscopes. 978-81-237-7961-4 Rs 310 centre.

MAY 2017 NBT NEWSLETTER 7 RNI-39456/82 Postal Regd. No. DL-SW-1-4076/2015-17 Licenced to post without prepayment. L.No. U(SW)21/2015-17 Mailing date: 5/6 Same Month Date of Publication: 01/05/2017 Farewell

Shri Syed Haider M Rizvi, Manager (Sales & Marketing), retired from the Trust after serving for 20 years. He joined the Trust on 21 June 1996. We at NBT wish him a happy retired life.

NBT Newsletter is the house magazine of On India Government Service the National Book Trust, India — an autonomous organisation of the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Department of Higher Education, Government of India.

The views expressed in the signed articles do not necessarily reflect the official views of the Trust.

Editor: Binny Kurian Editorial Associate: Surekha Sachdeva Production Officer: Narender Kumar

National Book Trust, India Nehru Bhawan, 5 Institutional Area, Vasant Kunj, Phase-II New Delhi-110 070 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.nbtindia.gov.in Readers are requested to write to the editor expressing their views about the NEWSLETTER.

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8 NBT NEWSLETTER MAY 2017