BOOK PROMOTION AND COPYRIGHT
Believing that one of the primary requirements for the deve- lopment of educational programmes is an adequate supply of books and other reading materials, the Ministry of Education has taken in hand large scale programmes for the development and promotion of books at the university level of education as well as for the general reading public.
Its activities are briefly as follows:
NATIONAL BOOK TRUST To meet the needs of growing literacy and the cultural and intellectual renaissance of the country after independence, the NBT was set up by the Ministry of Education in 1957 as an autonomous organisation for the production of good general reading material at reasonable prices to supplement the knowledge of readers who did not have the advantage of higher education. The Trust publishes such books as may not be attractive to commercial publishers in various series and in various languages for both adults and children entitled; India-Land and People, National Biography, Popular Science, Outstanding Books of the World, The World of Today, Folklore of India and Young India Library.
Another essential function, that of fostering book consciousness has also been entrusted to the NBT. In pursuance of this, the Trust has been organising book fairs at national and regional levels. It also conducts seminars, workshops and short-term training courses on the problems of writers, translators, publishers and distributors. In addition to these activities, the NBT has been entrusted with implementation of some important schemes, such as, Aadan-Pradan and the Nehru Bal Pustakalaya, to subsidise the publication of university level books in English by Indian authors.
The following are some of the important activities undertaken by the Trust during the year :
(a) In collaboration with the two professional organisations of publishers in the country, namely, the Federation of Publishers and Booksellers Association in India, and the Federation of
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Indian Publishers and the Maharashtra Publishers Association, the Trust organised a National Book Fair, the sixth, in the series, in Bombay, from January 31 to February 11, 1974. Nearly 6,000 books published indigenously in all the major Indian languages and in English since 1971 were exhibited at the Fair. A workshop for Publishing Editors, the first of its kind to be organised in India, seminars on Co-production of Children's Books in Indian Languages and The Place of the Retail Bookshop in the Cultural Life of the Country as also a symposium on Copyright-India's National and International Needs, were organised during the currency of the fair. In addition to the private publishers, the State Governments of Andhra Pradesh, Maha- rashtra and Tamil Nadu also participated.
(b) Scheme of Subsidised Publication of University Level Books by the Indian Authors in English
In order to provide suitable materials of indigenous origin at the university level in English at low price to our students and with a view to encouraging Indian authorship, a scheme has been in operation since 1970, for subsidising the publication of selected Indian works to make them economically competitive with foreign textbooks. The scheme covers original books, published works as well as adaptations of foreign books by Indian authors. During the period under review, 16 books were subsidised, bringing the total number of books published under this scheme since its inception to 54, including reprints.
(c) A scheme with USAID funds is made available initially during 1971-72 operated on the lines of the scheme for subsidised publication of university level books in English by Indian authors. So far, 55 books have been published out of these funds, 28 of them during the period under review. In addition, 46 titles have been approved for subsidy under this programme.
(d) Arising out of the recommendations of the National Book Development Board, a comprehensive survey of the book industry in India was taken up in September, 1972,by the National Council of Applied Economic Research with financial assistance from USAID Funds under the aegis of the National Book Trust. The survey which was completed during the year is the first attempt to collect information about the various aspects of the publishing industry in the country.
(e) Aadan-Pradan
To foster national integration and to build up a core of common books for the appreciation of Indian culture as a whole,
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the Aadan-Paradan scheme was introduced in 1969. Under the scheme. the Trust brings out translations of representative books in one language into every other Indian language mentioned in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. So far, the Trust has brought out 160 books and translations in the series and 142 more are in the press.
Raja Rammohun Roy National Educational Resources Centre The Centre was set up in July, 1972 as a nucleus for an information centre for the publishing industry and for the docu- mentation and statistical analysis of printed materials imported from abroad. To begin with, the centre has started a reference collection of university level books produced indigenously as well as the subsidised editions of foreign text-books brought out under the three collaboration programmes of the Ministry. These books are available for reference to university students and the teachers. Textbook writers and publishers are also welcome to use the facilities available in the centre to survey the existing field of books and to plan fresh publications. There are approximately 30,000 volumes in the reference collection which were consulted by about 9,340 specialised readers during the period.
The Centre issued 11 bimonthly lists of addition to the Library as well as the second fascicule of annotated catalogue of low price publications and core-books. The supplements to the National Catalogue of University Level Books issued periodically are proposed to be brought out in a cumulative volume. As part of its programme to bring the indigenous books available to the notice of university students and teachers, the Centre organised three exhibitions of university level books in various universities. It also completed a sample survey on the various "Methods of Book Selection in Actual Use in University Libraries in the Country".
National Book Development Board To foster a balanced growth of the book industry in the country, the Government of India set up a National Book Development Board in 1967, as an Advisory Body. The Board was reorganised in 1970 and it is proposed to reconstitute it for the third term with some additional functions and with a wider representation of different secotrs of book industry and various governmental, and non-governmental agencies.
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Low-priced Editions of Standard Educational Material of University
Level. Finding that imported standard educational materials were beyond the resources of most Indian students and keeping in view the fact that the production of standard indigenous works would take some time, the Government of India entered into collaboration arrangements with the Governments of the UK, the USA and the USSR in 1960, 1961 and 1965, respectively, to make standard educational materials from these countries available to Indian students at low prices. Under these joint programmes, the educational materials approved by the Government of India are reproduced in the UK and the USSR and marketed in India through normal commercial channels. In regard to books from the USA, Indian publishers are given a subsidy for bringing out Indian reprints of approved American works which are priced at approximately 1/5th of the original American edition. Since the inception of these programmes, 600 British, 1350 American and 230 USSR books have been brought out.
Procurement of Translation Rights To facilitate the work of obtaining clearance from foreign copyright owners in regard to books selected by State Governments for translation into the Indian languages, the Ministry had set up a Copyright Clearance Cell to centralise such, negotiations. Model agreements were negotiated with a majority of the American and British publishers. By the end of September 1974, a total number of 1,291 contracts for translation into the various Indian languages were executed with publishers in Britain and America.
Import and Export Policy
Export Promotional Activities India is one of the leading publishing countries in the world and has growing potential for exporting books not only to the established markets like the UK and the USA but to new markets in South East Asia, West Asia and the African countries. With a view to promoting exports, the National Book Trust has been given the responsibility of participating in various International Book Fairs, exhibitions, etc.
During the year under review, the Trust participated in the International Book Fair in Singapore (April, 1974), National Book Exhibition in Dacca (April, 1974 and February, 1975), International Book Fair in Frankfurt (October, 1974), Com-
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monwealth Book Fair in London (October, November, 1974), the International Children's Book Fair in Ankara (November, 1974), and International Book Fair, Cairo (February, 1975). The Trust also arranged to send books contributed by various private publishers and autonomous publications units for display in special Indian book exhibitions organised in Bangkok (April, 1974), New York (June, 1974), and the book exhibitions organised by Indian Missions in Santiago, Guyana and Manila. Books were also sent for display at the Children's Book Exhibition, Bologna (Italy) (April, 1974), International Book Fair in Belgrade (September, 1974), Exhibitions in Sri Lanka (September, 1974), and Beirut (February, 1975). The Trust not only displays its own publications but those of other public sector publishing units as well as those of a number of Indian publishers who cannot participate individually in such fairs.
The Ministry continued to obtain market survey reports through the Indian Missions abroad which were circulated among various publishers and book exporters through the two Federations of publishers and booksellers. The Federation of Publishers and Booksellers Associations in India has also been assisted in the publication of a quarterly journal entitled 'Books India' for circu- lation abroad.
Import Policy for Books The Import Policy for books, journals, magazines, children's literature and other educational material is laid by the Chief Controller of Imports and Exports in consultation with this Ministry. However, to ensure that imported materials do not impede the development of indigenous books, the importers are exhorted not to import books of which Indian reprints are available.
The main features of the import policy are that individuals can import educational books for their own use up to Rs. 500 per year without an import licence. They can also import other books up to Rs. 400 in each case against licences. Libraries and educational institutions can import educational. scientific and technical books up to Rs. 10,000 per year for their own use without licence. For requirements exceeding Rs. 10,000 they can also obtain import licences for import of such books.
The established importers are allowed quota licences for import of books, non-technical journals, news magazines, etc., up to 100% of their basic quota. They are also allowed supple-
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mentary licences for twice the value of their quota licences for import of educational, scientific and technical books. The quota and supplementary licences are also made valid for import of scientific and technical journals.
New comers to the import trade of books who had been in the internal trade of books for a minimum period of one fun year and had an annual internal purchase turnover of Rs. 1 lakh, are also allowed import licences for import of books for Rs. 2 lakhs or more depending upon the number of years they have been in the internal trade and their annual purchase turnover.
The State Trading Corporation which had for the first time taken up import of scientific and educational journals and magazines assisted universities and other institutions of higher learning by arranging imports of scientific and technical journals for their use. The State Trading Corporation not only plans to extend its services to cover a larger number of universities and other institutions of higher learning but also to undertake import of such books which the universities find difficult to obtain through the normal trade channels.
COPYRIGHT The Copyright Board as constituted under the provisions of the Copyright Act, 1957 (14 of 1957) during the period 1st April, 1974, to 7th October 1974, held four meetings in different zones of the country to hear 23 cases listed for hearing and decided 13 cases.
During the same period viz. 1st April, 1974 to 7th October, 1974, the Copyright Office registered 956 Artistic Works and 223 Literary Works. It also effected changes in 26 entries made in the Register of Copyrights of Artistic Works, and in 520 entries made in the Register of Copyrights of Literary Works.
The amendments to the, Indian Copyright Act, 1957 necessitated due to certain lacunae found in the working of the existing Copyright Act, 1957 (14 of 1957) have been drafted and the Copyright Act (Amendment) Bill is likely to be introduced in Parliament shortly. This would inter alia also incorporate changes necessitated by the revision of the two International Copyright Conventions, namely, the Berne Convention for the Protection of Original Literary and Artistic Works and the Universal Copyright Convention which were last revised at Paris in
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July, 1971, and contained clauses to assist in the field of repro- ductions and translations of foreign works.
During the period under review India ratified the Convention for the Protection of Producers of Phonograms against unauthorised duplication. India also acceded to (a) the administrative provisions of the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works as revised and signed at Paris in July, 1971, and (b) the Convention establishing the World Intellectual Property Organisation signed at Stockholm on July 14, 1967.