BOOK PROMOTION
In accordance with the National Policy on Education, the Ministry has been taking various steps to produce high quality text and reference books for use of Indian University students and to provide good reading material for the general public. The particulars of the important activities undertaken in this behalf are given below.
Procurement of Translation Rights As a result of negotiations between this Ministry and the British publishers' Association and American Publishers, 34 leading US Publishers have agreed to make available to the Government of India, if not otherwise committed, the translation rights of their books at a flat rate of royalty per language irrespective of the size of the edition. The British Publishers' Association have also agreed on similar terms but with a graded rate of royalty linked to the size of the edition. To make it easier for the foreign copyright owners and to provide for coordination, the copyright licences are negotiated centrally on behalf of the State Governments with the right for the Centre to sub-license the publication to the concerned State agency. Nearly 800 contracts for translation of the U.K. and the U.S. titles into Indian languages have so far been executed with the U.K. and U.S. Publishers. These are for books considered essential for Indian educational purposes.
Low-priced Editions of Foreign Textbooks The Government of India, Ministry of Education in collaboration with the Government of the U.K., the U.S.A. and the
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U.S.S.R., have been operating schemes for the republication of textbooks in low-priced editions for use by University students in India.
The Indo-British Textbook Programme This programme popularly known as the E.L.B.S. (English Language Book Society Series) was initiated in 1960. This Ministry approves British books in various disciplines on the basis of their evaluation by various Indian experts and expert bodies like the U.G.C., I.C.A.R. etc. The approved books are then published in the U.K. and marketed in India through normal trade channels and are normally priced at about 1/3rd of the cost of the original edition. Since its inception about 500 books have been approved under this programme.
The Joint Indo-American Textbook Programme This programme was instituted in 1961 to make available to Indian students standard American works in low-priced editions.
A joint Indo-American Board consisting of seven members from each side with the Secretary of this, Ministry as the Chairman lays down the guidelines for the operation of the programme. Titles approved by the Ministry of Education in consultation with the Indian experts or expert bodies are republished in India by Indian publishers with a subsidy from the USIS or USAID to bring down the price of the book to about 115 of the original American price. About 1250 books have been brought out under this programme. The funds for operating this scheme are provided from P.L. 480 funds.
The scope of USAID assistance which was hitherto confined mainly to the republication of American books was expanded to include publication of specified technical books by Indian authors and the publication of translations of American scientific and technical books. A sum of Rs. 22,50,000 was earmarked for this and the operation of the scheme was entrusted to the N.B.T. So far 6 titles have been published and 32 titles have been
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approved for publication. The expanded programme also provides for other activities to be undertaken with the approval of the Government of India. Under this provision a delegation of publishers and printers was sent to the U.S.A. for a study-cummarket research tour. A grant has also been provided to the N.B.T. for brining out a Directory of Indian, Publishers.
The Joint Indo-Soviet Textbook Programme A Joint Indo-Soviet Textbook Board consisting of 5 Indian and 5 Soviet members with the Education Secretary as Chairman was constituted in 1965 to operate the programme for the translation, adaptation and publication of standard Russian Educational Works in English for use of students in India. Soviet books are evaluated by Indian experts/expert bodies and approved by the Ministry. They are published in the U.S.S.R. and marketed in India through normal trade channels. Over 200 books have been approved under this programme.
National Book Development Board To foster the growth of books in India, the Government of India set up a National Book Development Board in 1967 to lay down guidelines for the development of the Indian book industry and trade in the context of the overall requirements of the country. The Board has on it representatives of the different sectors of the book industry-publishers, authors, printers and booksellers as well as the various governmental and non-governmental agencies dealing with the implementation of book programmes. Ordinarily the Board meets once a- year. However, the Board sets up Committees for specific purposes which may meet as frequently as required. On the expiry of its first term of 3 years the Board has been reconstituted in December 1970 with some additional functions.
The Board has so far held seven meetings. In addition to identifying the vital areas in the field it has made a number of far- reaching recommendations, Partial tax exemption to Indian Publishers, setting up of a Book Finance Corporation for liberal
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credit facilities to book publishers, Seminars and training courses, for publishers and booksellers, starting a university course in publishing, setting up of a Central Publication Exchange Unit for making common use of artistic and design works, import of newsprint, uniform taxation on royalty remittances abroad, rationalising the imports and promoting the export of books are some of the questions studied. An important recommendation of the Board is to carry out a comprehensive survey of the needs of the Indian Book Industry and Trade to recommend a coordinated policy for the promotion of book publishing as a whole. This survey which would be the first of its kind in India is being carried out by the National Council of Applied Economic Research.
International Book Year Celebrations The Year 1972 was declared by UNESCO as an International Book Year. India has welcomed the decision. A National Committee with Education Minister as Chairman and the Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting as Vice-Chairman was set up to coordinate and guide the celebrations in India. Tile National Committee has met twice and made recommendations for setting up an Author's Guild,, setting up book kiosks at Petrol Pumps and promotion of Book Reviews. These recommendations are under consideration. Details of activities undertaken as part of the Celebrations are given elsewhere in this report.
National Book Trust The National Book Trust, India was set up as an autonomous organisation by the Ministry of Education in 1957 with the twin objective of fostering book-mindedness in the country and producing low-priced good literature for the people. The Trust, has also been entrusted with two important Schemes viz. the "Aadan-Pradan Series" and "Payment of Subsidy to University Level Books by Indian Authors". Besides these, the Trust was also entrusted with the publication of certain books as part
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of the 25th Anniversary Celebration of India's Independence and the organisation of the World Book Fair in India as part of the International Book Year Celebrations. The details of the notable activities of the Trust follow :
Twenty-fifth Anniversary Celebrations of India's Independence As part of the Celebrations, the Trust has brought out a short. History of the Freedom Movement for Adults written in an easy style. The English, Hindi and Punjabi editions of the books were released by the President of India on the 15th August, 1972. The other regional language editions will be published shortly. The Trust is also compiling a History of Freedom Movement for children and an Anthology of Indian Poetry since Independence which will be translated into Hindi and English and published by the Trust.
World Book Fair As part of the Celebrations of the International Book Year, the National Book Trust in collaboration with the Federation of Publishers and Booksellers Associations in India organised a World Book Fair in New Delhi from March 18, to April 4, 1972. The Fair was inaugurated by the President of India. The highlights of the fair were the exhibition of oustanding books published in various Indian languages and English in India since India's Independence, organisation of an International Seminar on "Books for the Millions", holding of a National Writers' Camp in which 93 eminent writers participated and a Book Week to inculcate reading habits. Delegations fo writers/publishers from the U.S.S.R., G.D.R., Mauritius, Zambia, Kenya, Tanzania were specially invited to participate in the Fair. Delegates from West Germany, Malayasia, Switzerland, Afghanistan, Iran, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangla Desh also participated in the Fair.
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Subsidised Publication of University-level Books by Indian Authors
in English To ensure that good Indian Textbooks at the University level are encouraged to enter the market and successfully compete with the foreign subsidised books, a scheme has been formulated to subsidise the publication of selected Indian works of recognised merit. Subsidy is given to make these books economically competitive with foreign textbooks and also to bring down their prices. The Scheme covers not only fresh manuscripts but also published works and adaptations of standard foreign books by Indian authors. The Scheme also provides in special cases for subsidising books by foreign authors, The Trust has brought out 8 books under the Scheme during the period under review bringing the total to 29 books published so far under this Scheme. Besides, the Trust has approved 55 additional titles for publication for which estimates of subsidy are being worked out.
Aadan Pradan To foster national integration and enable the readers in one linguistic region to understand and appreciate the way of life and urges of another within the country, the scheme known as the Aadan Pradan was introduced. Under the Scheme, up to ten of the most representative and well-known books- in each language specially the more recent and contemporary works are to be translated into every other language mentioned in the VIII Schedule of the Constitution to provide the country with a common set of books. So far the Trust has brought out 112 books in the Series and 37 more titles are in the Press.
The normal activities of the Trust include-
(a) Publication of books in various Indian languages in well conceived series like,"India-The Land and People", "National Biography", 'Popular Science 'Out standing Books of the World', 'The World Today', 'Folklore of India', 'Young India Library', etc.
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(b) Fostering book-mindedness by organising book fairs, book exhibitions, seminars and symposia, workshops and training courses on problems of writers, translators publishers and distributors. The two regional book exhibitions held in U.P. (Agra and Aligarh) and Kerala (Trivandrum, Kottayam and Ernakulam), the workshop for Malayalam Translators and the proposed 5th National Book Fair to be organised in Calcutta from January 25, 1973 to February 4, 1973 need special mention.
Raja Ram Mohan Roy National Educational Resources Centre The Centre was set up as part of the Ministry in July 1972 with the objectives of encouraging Indian authorship by making available under one roof University-level Text and Reference Books by Indian authors in all regional languages and foreign text and reference books in use in Indian Universities to enable propective Indian writers, research scholars, publishers and students to know the level of and the disciplines where books by Indian authors are available and where such books are needed and to analyse the invoice for books imported into India with the object of arriving at a meaningful import policy.
The Library part of the Centre has come into existence, It has already acquired about 20,000 text and reference books both of Indian and foreign origin for use of authors and publishers. The scope of this Library is also being expanded to include the setting up of a Textbook Lending Library in South Delhi to cater to the needs of students whose colleges are situated at a considerable distance from the main University. Other activities undertaken by the Centre include the bringing out of a quarterly Supplement of additions to the National Cataloque of Universitylevel Books and a sample survey of University Level Books prescribed/recommended by Indian Universities.
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Export Promotional Activities India is one of the leading publishing countries of the world. Its annual earnings from export of Indian books at present are, however, around Rs. 1 crore only. The Ministry has been vested with the specific responsibility of organising/participation in International Book Fair/exhibitions at Government level find to assist private publishers to participate in such Book Fairs with the dual object of bringing our rich literature to the notice of readers in other countries and to promote exports of such books. With this aim in view, the National Book Trust participated in International Book Fairs at Frankfurt from September 28 to October 3, 1972; the International Exhibition of Book Industry and Conference of South East Asian publishers in Kuala Lumpur from September 9 to 17, 1972 and the Book Exhibition in Teheran held in November 1972. The Trust also organised an Exhibition of Hindi Books in Nepal in collaboration with the Central Hindi Directorate and exhibitions of Indian books at Kabul and Dacca. The Trust also plans to participate in the International Book Fair in Cairo. Trade enquiries received at these exhibitions and other reports froth abroad indicate that there is considerable scope for expansion of India's export trade in books as well as its spare printing capacity. The Ministry is examining some proposals like setting up Centres for Indian Books abroad for promotion of the export of Indian books.
Import Policy for Books The import policy for books, journals, magazines, children's literature and other educational material is laid down by the C.C.I.E. in consultation with this Ministry. A liberal policy is followed in this behalf since this Ministry is of the opinion that in the interest of education and a healthy growth of democracy, there should be a free flow of reading material into the country. However, to ensure that this free flow does not strangle the development of indigenous books and encourage, import of reading material of questionable merit, the policy forbids the import
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of undesirable types of books, comics and fiction and also exhorts Importers not to import books of which Indian reprints are available.
Participation in International Conference India participated in the experts meeting on Book Development in Asia held in Tokya as part of the Celebrations of the International Book Year. Two experts were nominated by the Indian National Commission for Cooperation with UNESCO.
India also participated in the Regional Seminar on the Establishment and Operations of National Book Development Councils organised by UNESCO in Manila held from 4th to 8th December, 1972 by deputing one of the officers of the Ministry of Education to the Seminar. Under the Cultural Exchange Programme with the U.S.S.R. a five-member deligation of Indian Publishers visited the U.S.S.R. in June 1972 to familiarise itself with all aspects of publishing in the U.S.S.R.
Financial Allocations The financial allocations for the various schemes included above for the year 1972-73 and 1973-74:
S. No. Items Provision in 1972-73 Provision
in
Original Revised 1973-74
1 2 3 4 5
1. Payment of Honorarium
for evaluation of Books
under the Collaboration
Scheme 1.25 0.75 1.25
2. Meetings of the Joint
Indo-Soviet Text Book
Board 0.30 0.30 Provision
amalgamated
in overall
budget for
T.A. & D.A.
in the
Ministry
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1 2 3 4 5
3. Subsidy for University
Level Books by Indian
authors and reprints/re-
runs of American books 30.00 30.00 Not
known
yet
4. Raja Ram Mohan Roy
National Educational
Centre-
(a) Text Book Reference
Library
(b) Documentation of
imported books 1.00 Nil.
(c) Text Book Lending Library ...
5. National Book Development
Board and its' meetings 2.90 1.65 2.50
6. Export Promotional Acti-
vities 3.50 4.50
7. Grants to National Book
Trust 4.75 4.75 6.00
8. Adan Pradan 10.00 8.00 15.00
9. World Book Fair 2.00 3.33 6.00
10.International Book Year
Celebrations including meet-
ings of its Committees 1.20 1. 12 ...
11. Celebrations of the 25th
Anniversary of India's Inde-
Independence ... 8.08 ...
*Included in the Ministry's overall budget for Plan posts.