[Reader-list] Kabil Sibal moots neighbourhood book policy

[Chintan Girish Modi]

From
http://www.indiaedunews.net/Today/Kapil_Sibal_moots_neighborhood_book_policy_12769/

Union Minister for Human Resource Development (HRD) Kapil Sibal has mooted
that there be a neighborhood book policy in the country.

According to Sibal, the aim should be that in the manner of neighborhood
schools, there should be neighborhood libraries and reading rooms. He gave
this suggestion to the Task Force that has prepared the Draft National Book
Promotion Policy while speaking at a Round Table held to discuss the policy,
here today.

He added that "the model of libraries/reading rooms being followed in Tamil
Nadu (pointed out and praised by some members of the round table) could be
looked at by the Task Force to be incorporated in their report. He also said
that state governments would have to be involved for this."

Sibal was speaking at the conclusion of a robust discussion where a number
of suggestions were made regarding the draft policy. He asked the Task Force
to rework on the draft policy accordingly and also asked the task force to
hold meetings with students and parents who are also stakeholders,
subsequent to a suggestion in this regard by a participant in the Round
Table.

The minister also suggested to the Task Force to look at preparing a pricing
policy for books, which would be advisory and not mandatory, consistent with
international norms, in their report. He also asked the Task Force to take a
fresh look at the publishing of school text books and whether greater
private sector involvement could be looked at here.

He also pointed out to the publishing industry that a huge opportunity
awaits them in the publishing of e-books, especially for children's books
that can be illustrated. He further added that the vast scope of
translations of books in India from one language to the other.

Sibal stated that as the Task Force also looks at incorporating the
suggestion from a round table member that the publishers make available
electronic manuscripts of books to Braille book publishers so that the
effort of retyping a book can be avoided. He also asked the Task Force to
look at how the electronic media can be asked to participate in the
popularization of reading.

The minister talked at length about the requirement of creative writing
modules and of at least one hour every week being dedicated to reading in
schools.

Underlining the need of a policy framework to reach out to potential
authors, especially in small places, who find it very difficult to find
publishers, the minister asked the Task Force that an idea that could be
looked at was the setting up of a national level website, connected to the
states and to the districts, so that those who seek to author books can
reach out to a committee/committees consisting of government and
non-government members.

This would be a forum to enable a person to access publishers, which is
otherwise extremely difficult for an ordinary person. The Task Force could
work at the de tails and the sifting mechanism.

The Round Table was attended by stakeholders including publishers, authors,
academicians and representatives from the Ministries of I&B and Culture,
among others. Views expressed by members included greater access to
libraries for all, including those in the rural areas and in slums; books in
electronic format being made available to libraries and to publishers of
Braille books; setting up of creative writing centres; private publishers
being allowed greater access to publishing of school textbooks; bringing
down the cost of books, the possibility of development funds earmarked for
rural areas being used for purchase of books and of the preparation of a
policy to encourage writing.