8.5.1 The trust proposes to put concerted effort to increase the sale of books to Rs. 1000 lakhs net by the end of the Eighth Five Year Plan. To achieve this they would need to bring out more than 3000 titles every year from the level of 851 books in 1989-90. This would be only possible when all. Sections of the trust are strengthened with additional staff.

8.5.2 A sum of Rs. 0.45 crore has been proposed for this scheme in the Eighth Plan.

DTP Composing Unit

8.5.3 The NBT is the largest mulit-lingual publishing agency and at times, it has to assign printing to presses in Kerala, Tamilnadu, Assam, Orissa etc. leading to many problems, including delays in the production of Books. They have, therefore, proposed to set up DTP Composing Unit with the capability of Composing Text in all the Major Indian languages. For this purpose a sum of Rs. 14 lakhs is proposed for equipment and staff for the Eighth Five Year Plan.

Production of Foreign Classics

8.5.4 It has been found that publishing in Indian languages is still confined to works of fiction, po-etry, plays, literary

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criticisms etc. and readers are not exposed to new thoughts in fields such as the humanities and social sciences. The trust has therefore, decided to publish translations of highly acclaimed foreign works of non-fiction relevent to Indian readership during the Eighth Plan.

8.5.5 A sum of Rs. 0.15 crore has been proposed for this scheme in the Eighth Plan.

National Centre for Children's Literature

8.5.6 Based on the recommendations of the Empowered Committee, which examined the recommendations of the report of the Working Group on National Book Policy, it has been decided to set up a National Centre for Children's Literature with a view to collect and make available to publishers, authors, illustrators and others interested in children's literature, at one place as much indigenous and foreign material as possible, expertise and know-how relevant to the promotion of a rapid and balanced development of children's literature. A token provision of Rs. 5.00 lakhs has already been made for the scheme for the year 1991-92. The Project Report is however yet to be finalised by National Book Trust.

8.5.7 The proposed outlay for this scheme is Rs. 1.50 crores in the Eighth Plan.

Reader's Club Movement:

8.5.8 The NBT has decided to launch a movement for the organisation of Readers Club in schools to create a forum where books are discussed and those who read books are given encouragement and some recognition. A task force also has been

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constituted by the Board of Trustees to give a report on the "Strategy for the production and availability of suitable books for school libraries for Eighth Plan period" This group has recommended certain steps which might be taken to promote and sustain Reader Club Movement. These recommendations inter-alia include bringing out a Newsletter by the NBT, instituting and award scheme, preparing Video- TV Programmes and promoting Reader's Club Movement through Teacher's Training Programme organised by NCERT, SCERT etc. through AIR and Doordarshan.

8.5.9 A sum of Rs. 0.15 crores has been proposed for this scheme for the Eighth Five Year Plan.

National Book Marketing Agency

8.5.10 This agency has been proposed by NBT in pursuance of the recommendations of the Empowered Committee, which had interalia recommended that the NBT, in collaboration with the publication division of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting would work out a project to set up joint emporia/retail shops for books published by various agencies in the public sector, both of the Central and State Govts. It was agreed in a meeting of the representatives from 28 Central/State/Autonomous Organisations and Voluntary agencies that there was an urgent need for getting up a Book distribution System at the national level. A working Group has been constituted with the task of preparing the project report. In consultation with the said Working Group, the job of preparation of the project report has been assigned to the Tata Consultancy Services. Pending the finalisation of the report, a token provision of Rs. 5.00 lakhs has already been made for this scheme

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for the year 1991-92.

8.5.11 An outlay of Rs. 0.25 crore has been proposed for this Scheme for the Eighth Five Year Plan.

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