New NBPP in 2015

By Just in Print Last updated Apr 29, 2017

NATIONAL BOOK PROMOTION POLICY Final Draft of the National Book Promotion Policy (NBPP), as approved by the Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE), Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India has been received in the Federation office. Copy of the Draft (NBPP) is reproduced below for kind information of our members. COPY OF FINAL DRAFT OF THE NATIONAL BOOK PROMOTION POLICY I. INTRODUCTION 1. Preamble Books are a perennial source of information, knowledge, wisdom, and pleasure. Hence, they are an essential part of a civilized society. Books are of various kinds, on different subjects, useful for people having a stake or an interest in that subject. In fact, there are numerous books for all categories of readers, students, professionals, skilled workers, scientists, business managers, lovers of art and literature etc. Readers from all walks of life and all age-groups have a claim on books. The National Book Promotion Policy (NBPP) realizes the needs of all the readers. The books for children, of course, have a special significance. Children’s books, not only brighten up the life of children, but they also shape future of the society. The NBPP aims at promoting books at promoting books for all segments of the society, so that books are available in plenty and they are accessible to people living in different parts, even the remotest corners, of our country. The NBPP is aware of the technological advances and their impact on the world of books. The Policy strives at taking full advantage of the new technology while retaining the time-tested strengths of publishing and distribution of books. The NBPP is harbinger of a new era of reading and learning. It proposes concrete measures for promoting books that will provide everlasting sustenance and joy to our society. 2. Vision The vision of the NBPP is: To make our society a knowledge society, imbued with an awareness that comes from reading of books and by imbibing the positive ideas embedded in them. Books human existence meaningful and give it a sense of purpose. To build up a society in which books will be available and accessible to everyone, wherever one lives in the country. 3. Mission The Mission of the NBPP is: To inculcate the habit of book reading among people of all age-groups. We strive to become a reading society and a learning society. Books are the best means of achieving that goal. To motivate and facilitate good writing and publishing of plentiful books which will be accessible to readers all over the country. 4. Objectives The objectives of the NBPP are: 8 1. To have more and better books written on all subjects. Writers will be motivated and encouraged to come out with first-rate manuscripts. Greater facilities and proper recognition will be accorded to genuine and capable writers. Efforts will be made to ensure that writers get their due and their rights are protected. 2. Publishers will be encouraged to work in a professional manner. Their success depends upon proper planning and operational competence. Requisite guidance and help will be provided to them in executing ambitious publishing projects of relevance to readers and the society. All possible assistance will be given to publishers in acquiring the latest knowledge and technology for modernization of book production and publishing. If required, suitable advice will be made available to publishers on pricing policy and their relationship with authors and authorities. The matter of reasonable postal rates and elimination or reduction of duties will be taken up with the concerned authorities, in order to encourage national and international trade of books. 3. Booksellers and Distributors will play a crucial role in reaching out to readers in all part of the country. They will be provided with requisite information and guidance. Efforts will be made to inculcate the Bookshop culture in the readers, in addition to the Book Fair culture and the online accessing of books. 4. The Library Movement will be harnessed to the cause of Book Promotion. Each library will act as a nodal agency for propagating the cause of books and their widest possible access. 5. The NBPP welcomes rapid advances in technology like e-books, digital libraries and online availability of books, which have become important in today’s world. It will strive to ensure that the new technology creates an era of opportunities for reaching out to readers in remote areas, to the differently-abled readers, and to all those who are, normally, inaccessible. 6. The NBPP will ensure that well-planned national campaign is launched to inculcate the book reading habit among all sections of our country, especially among children, youth, women, students, and the differently-abled readers. 5. Background The Ministry of Human Resource Development set up a National Book Development Board (NBDB) in 1967, to lay down guidelines for development of the book industry, in the context of over-all requirements of the country. A new body, called the National Book Development Council (NBDC), was formed in September 1983. Thereafter, the Council was reconstituted, from time to time. National Policy of Education 1986, as amended in 1992, inter alia, recommended availability of books at low prices, protection of authors’ interest and improvement of existing libraries. Government is aware of problems faced by publishing industry in the regime of globalized and liberalized economy. Technological advances, availability of computers, ubiquitous reprography machines, and spread of internet, coupled with availability of disparate digital devices, have increased potential for book piracy tremendously. Not only does this create problems of copyright, it also leads to significant decrease in the presence of readers in libraries. The growth of private educational institutions at school, college and university levels and the entry of foreign educational institutes have underlined the huge market for text books and the growing demand for them has led to sudden increase in the number of publishing houses and also the urgency for a NBPP. In September 2008, the Government of India decided to revive the erstwhile NBDC to facilitate exchange of views on all major aspects of Book Promotion, inter alia, covering writing/ authorship of books, production, publication and distribution of books, pricing, copyright, the habit of book reading, availability and reach of books for different segments of the society, for various age-groups, and the quality and content of Indian books in general. 9 The first meeting of the NBPC was held on 25th September 2009 under the Chairmanship of Hon’ble Minister of Human Resource Development. The meeting noted that it was imperative for the government to take necessary steps for promoting the reading habit, encouraging quality publishing, guiding the book trade and revitalizing the Library Movement in the country, with special emphasis on rural areas. There is need for a NBPP, in order to meet the challenges of the 21st century. After deliberations, it was decided that a twelve-member Task Force be constituted to draft the NBPP. As decided in the first meeting of the NBPC, held on 25th September 2009, a Task Force was constituted in the Department of Higher Education, w.e.f 5 th February 2010, to draft the NBPP, with Shri Dinesh Misra, President, Indian Society of Authors, as its Chairman. After several Meetings of the Task Force, a draft NBPP was prepared which was circulated, in January 2011, to all State Governments, different Ministries of the Government of India, Central Higher Educational Institutions and Federations/Associations of Authors, Publishers and Booksellers, for their views and comments. The draft was also hosted on the website of the Department of Higher Education ( buy at an easy rate medications on line – http://mqumag.com/buy-at-an-easy-rate-medications-on-line/ www.education.nic.in pills ) for soliciting views of the general public. Thereafter, considering and concluding some views and comments received from different stakeholders, the final draft policy was placed before the Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE), in its 58th meeting, held on 7 th June 2011. The initiative taken in formulating NBPP was widely appreciated and endorsed by CABE. Members (of CABE) felt that implementation of this policy would go a long way in reviving the interest in books, particularly amongst children and youth. II. WRITING OF BOOKS Writing of books is of paramount importance when we talk of Book Promotion. Books to be promoted, have to be well-written and properly edited. In a democratic society like ours, every citizen is free to write or compile a book or her or his choice. But, with this freedom, comes a responsibility. No democratic authority is inclined to interfere with the freedom of expression. And yet, there has to be some way or system of ensuring that the freedom does not become a licence to propagate anti-human, anti-national or anti-social ideas. Various methods can be discussed and suggested but the best thing would be would be some kind of self-regulation by the writing community and the publishers’ organizations. This is almost unavoidable in the case of children’s books and books for the young readers. Books are written for various purposes and with different readers in mind: books for children, young readers, the differently-abled, students, the professionals, the neo-literates and many other categories. The basic quality of a well-written book is that it should be readable. A good book is one which is opened with expectation and closed with profit or benefit. Writers contribute to the awareness and well-being of the society in a big way. They are the harbingers of knowledge, pleasure and wisdom. Their word carries a great influence which shapes the thinking of readers. Ideas come from the writers which go a long way to bring about positive changes in the society. We acknowledge the significance of the role played by writers. However, writers face many problems. It needs great pains and care to prepare a good manuscript. To find a suitable publisher for one’s manuscript is also a formidable task. Moreover, the problem of getting one’s proper due has become a sore point with many authors. The author-publisher relations need serious attention, so that a happy and equitable relationship is worked out between these two important segments of the book world. The writer should get her/his due and her/his rights ought to be fully protected. The publisher should also get a reasonable profit from the business. There should be a way out of differences and conflicts, arising between writers and publishers. A happy resolution of their differences will be beneficial for the world of books and it will be a great help in the Book Promotion Programme. 10 In order to understand and analyze the problems and challenges of writing for different categories of readers, it is proposed to organize several workshops at all levels – national, state and district. These workshops will discuss the ways to achieve excellence in writing as well as the manner in which rights of the authors are to be protected. The workshops will create a new ambience of confidence, hope and mutual trust that will work to the advantage of readers and the society. Workshops for writers of different categories of books, especially of children’s books, will be carefully planned and imaginative handled to get the best results. Great care will be taken in the writing of books for children and young readers. A few workshops will also be held for the child-writers. Young children will be encouraged to write creatively and they will be provided guidance by experts. Schools will be provided guidance and help in motivating young students to write poems, stories, plays etc. The co-operation of author’s and publishers’ organizations will be sought to make the programme successful and satisfactory for all the concerned parties. Translation is the need of the hour. In a multilingual country like India, translation is of great importance. Translation of Indian as well as foreign books ion regional languages and vice versa, will be encouraged and special workshops on Translation will be organized from time to time. The NBPP will encourage writers and publishers to enter into a proper agreement whenever a book is to be published. Royalty should be paid by the publisher regularly, within the stipulated time period, and a statement regarding the copies of the book printed, sold and unsold, should accompany it. The author has to be informed in advance whenever a new edition or reprint of a book is planned. There should also be proper norms about submission of manuscripts, their acceptance or return, and the proposed time of publication. There should be complete transparency in this relationship. The NBPP looks forward to a future of harmonious working partnership between writers and publishers, for the ultimate cause of Book Promotion in the country. An important segment of Book Promotion is regarding books for the visually impaired and other physically challenged readers. Education is a fundamental right of all citizens. In the information society, access to knowledge and information is of vital importance to ensure that all persons, including the visually challenged and other physically challenged readers, have access to books and reading material in formats that they can use. A ‘Special Cell’ may be created in specialized institutions like the one for the visually challenged children at Dehradun and the one for spastic children in Delhi, to produce books required for them. Similarly, all government schools as well as aided schools and universities/institutes of higher learning and their libraries should have a ‘Special Cell’ to cater to the need of books in all accessible formats for visually impaired and other physically challenged readers. Further, it should be ensured that all public libraries at state and district levels have a ‘Special Cell’ to cater to the needs of visually impaired and other physically challenged persons to access reading material. In addition to books, technology and effective software should be made available to help differently-abled persons to access information and reading material. The NBPP strongly advocates preparation of books and reading material for the differentlyabled readers. Technology has provided new ways of reaching out to such special readers. A group of writers and IT experts will be involved in this part of Book Promotion programme to ensure that plenty of good books and reading material area available in the form of Braille books, ‘speaking books’ and other formats, according to the preferences of the differently-abled readers. The National Book Trust, India is already publishing Braille books for the visually challenged. More and better books for this segment need to be meticulously prepared and published. Whatever books are made available for the mainstream readers, they should also be available for the differently-abled readers. 11 III. PUBLISHING OF BOOKS Publishers are the vital link between writers and readers. Of course, the publisher is a professional who invests money, time and energy for the sake of bringing out books, needed by the society. Naturally, the publisher looks for a decent return for her or his endeavour. Moreover, publishing is a challenging proposition. It has its own share of problems. The cost of paper, heavy postal rates, a dearth of sale outlets and administrative irritants, sometimes dampen the enthusiasm of a well-meaning publisher. But in the present-day scenario, things are looking up for the publisher. The Government is willing to facilitate the matters related to publishing; the society has realized the importance of their contribution; and the readers look forward to their new publications with a greater keenness. In a way things are almost ideally placed for the publishing industry to reinvent itself and contribute mightily to the resurgence of avid reading habit in the society and reap the benefits thereof. Publishers will have to do a little introspection, recognize the importance of their role, know their strengths as well as shortcomings and plan for the future with a realistic ambition and confidence. They have to acquire a professional competence to sort out their occupational, financial and administrative problems. They must develop a fair and healthy relationship with their authors. The NBPP will hold workshops for publishers to discuss their plans, difficulties, production of books, e-books, online publishing and other innovative ideas. The NBPP plans to study and understand various problems of publishers and to see what can be done to remedy the situation. Their objection to calling of tenders in purchase of books is understandable and a circular will be issued to remove this ugly practice. Problems of the rising cost of paper and high postal rates will also be looked into and the matter will be taken up with the concerned authorities. While sanctioning grants to libraries and institutions, the concerned authorities should lay down guidelines that a fixed percentage of the grant is to be used for purchasing books, preferably of Indian authors and publishers, and the rest to be spent on infrastructure and staff salaries. Institutional problems, like inordinate delay in payment of bills, or in settlement of approval memo, will be taken care of, by issuing an advisory to all libraries and institutions. It is necessary to collect authentic statistics about publishers and books, because the picture is not very clear so far. Registration of publishers through ISBN will be encouraged and an eye will be kept on the process to weed out bogus publishers. It is not proposed to regulate the publishing industry, but ways have to be found to ensure the quality of content and production. Awards will be instituted for good books, good authors and good publishers. The NBPP recommends an autonomous Indian Council of Children’s Literature (ICCL), working for the challenging task of producing, promoting and propagating children’s books in the whole country. Publishing of Text-books will be given the importance and emphasis it deserves to ensure flawless publication of Text-books in sufficient quantity and well in time, so that students get their genuine Text-books when needed. A comprehensive plan for Text-books will be worked out with the co-operation of NCERT, State Text Book Publishing Corporations, IGNOU and concerned publishers. Publishers are apprehensive about the foreign publishers and the role of FDI in this arena. The matter will be taken up with the concerned authorities. In the realm of publishing, the possibilities of Public-Private Partnership will be explored, to get the maximum benefit for readers and the Society. In the matter of ‘Remaindered Books’, the NBPP will take into account the interests of publishers as well as readers. Importers of the Remaindered Books will be identified and their modus 12 operandi will be kept under observation. All Remaindered Books will be stamped, so that they are seen as different from other books. Firm guidelines will be laid down and anyone flouting them will be dealt with severely. Non-availability of finance has been constant problem for the publishing houses in India. There is a long-standing demand to grant publishing in India the status of Industry. Once granted, this is likely to address the problem of access to institutional credit at viable rates for the publishers. The issue of granting the status of Industry to book publishing will be taken up with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The Ministry of Commerce will also be approached to bring down the cost of paper to the extent possible. A major difficulty in the promotion of books, so far, has been making books available through mail order to individual buyers, reader-members of home libraries or book club movement throughout the country. This movement is yet to grow in India. The main constraint in the circulation of books and in growth of the book club movement is the frequent hike in postal rates. The postal authorities will be approached to offer a most favoured treatment in the matter of postal rates on book dispatch by mail order, by charging concessional rates on VPP packets. Establishments of an ‘Indian Institute of Publishing Management And Technology’ (IIPMT) may be considered to offer diplomas, certificate courses and MBA in publishing sciences/studies, children’s literature, editorial studies, book designing, exhibition designing, e-publishing, online marketing etc. and to conduct regular research studies, surveys and training in the publishing sector to produce capable entrepreneurs in the field. IV. DISTRIBUTION OF BOOKS Good books are to be written and published in plenty. There may be numerous readers waiting for those books, in different corners of the country. But it is distribution system, the large number of booksellers and the effective online availability of books that bridge this gulf between the publisher and the reader. The booksellers put in hard work in selecting books, getting them from publishers’ godowns to their bookshops, display them and well them to the readers. The online display of books needs painstaking efforts and efficiency. They render a great service to the community and the cause of books. The world is changing fast and the old systems and patterns are changing with the times. There has to be a nation-wide, effective network of booksellers to ensure availability of required books to keen readers everywhere. The NBPP will take an initiative in understanding the difficulties faced by the booksellers and will try to sort them out. Workshops will be organized to discuss, not only the problems of booksellers but also to keep them abreast of the latest trends and technological innovations in their trade. The NBPP will take steps to encourage the growth of bookshops so that the bookshop culture grows along with the book fair culture and the online search of books. The NBPP will strongly recommend that in all commercial communities, developed privately or by government, there should be compulsory space allocation of a Bookshop/Library-cumReading Room. A special cell will be set up for preparing a comprehensive list of books to be recommended for consideration of public libraries. The list will be updated and disseminated periodically. The Government may initiate a scheme for financing on matching basis, to enable State Governments to set up a number of rural libraries in all Districts during the next Plan period. The concerned authorities should lay down guidelines that a fixed percentage of the grant is to be earmarked for purchase of books, preferably by Indian authors and publishers, 25% of which will be utilized for purchase of children’s books. It is recommended that after proper consultation with state governments, local bodies, publishing world, NGOs and other stakeholders, the following initiatives may be taken by the central government: 13 i) Introducing the element of book reading in all Central Government flagship Rural Development/Employment/Health/Education Programmes. ii) Creation of a special section for children’s books in every library. iii) Creation of a special section for the differently-abled readers in every library. iv) Creation of a National Book Exhibitors and Book Fairs Authority: in order to streamline the growing book fairs and exhibitions scene in the country and to bring in professionalism, a National Book Exhibitions and Book Fairs Authority will be set up. This will also take care of Mobile Book Exhibitions in the country by operating at least one Mobile Exhibition Van in each district of India. It will promote the concept of Panchayat Level Book Fairs, too. v) Creation of State Book Promotion Councils to look after promotion of books and the creation of ‘Book Publishing and Promotion Hubs’ in all state capitals. The setting up of the National Book Promotion Council is a major step towards Book Promotion. The multilingual composition of the country dictates the setting up of such councils at State level for cocoordinating and stimulating Book Promotion in all its aspects at the State level. The ‘Book Publishing and Promotion Hub’ with the objective of putting in place large-scale publishing infrastructure to help create a ‘culture of publishing’, will have a number of book shops, facility of book exhibitions and fairs, training centers for book publishing, production and marketing, printing infrastructure etc. and it will make special efforts to promote language publishing and exchange of rights at the national level. All these Hubs will be linked to each other to share information, related to book publishing and promotion in the states. Incentives to corporate houses may be offered to encourage them to take up the responsibility of creating these Hubs. Export and import of books is handed by the Ministry of Commerce through CAPEXIL, and an Export Promotion Council. At present, there is no cash subsidy to the exporters of Indian books. Incentive should be given to those exporters who export the books of Indian authors, through their participation in International Book Fairs without taking any subsidy. This will be a motivation to the exporters to promote export of books by Indian authors. The NBPP looks forward to a greater and more effective role of ICCR in promoting books of Indian authors and publishers abroad. The matter will be taken up with the ICCR, in the form of a proposal to advise all important embassies to keep a collection of Indian books which have become classics. The NBPP will provide such a list for ICCR’s consideration. The ICCR will be asked to organize Indian writers’ interaction with foreign writers, in India or in other countries. It is suggested that that Ministry of Human Resource Development in consultation with the University Grants Commission and NUEPA may consider and devise a scheme which will ensure quarterly dispatch by world publishers, of an advance list of publications which would be available for sale in the coming three months to the National/State libraries, university libraries, libraries of National Institutions of Learning etc. The authorities mentioned above may go through the catalogues of books supplied to them, prepare a list of books worthy of import, and from that the libraries may choose to acquire such books depending on their need and available resources. Such lists could be considered as certification for importers to import some or all of them within a limit of copies per little as may be specified by the Central Government. V. BOOK READING HABIT Book Promotion depends totally on the book reading habit of our countrymen. It is only a vast and eager world of readers that brings the best out of writers and publishers. The crucial symptom of a happy and civilized society is that almost everybody is inclined to read. This inclination turns into a regular habit of reading, as part of one’s life-style. The NBPP will go in for all-out efforts to make our countrymen understand the significance of reading and to help them develop a regular reading habit. Special focus will be on children because they are the future of the society. What they read today influences their life, but it also decides the fate of the country. 14 Children’s Book Hubs will be created in places like National Bal Bhawan, National Science Centre, Rail Museum and in similar children’s centers in all state capitals. These Hubs will not only provide a book-friendly environment but also add to the popularity of those organizations. The Children’s Book Hub in-charge will work in close co-ordination with the organization where it is located. The NBPP will seek co-operation of school Principals and Teachers so that young students grow up as intelligent readers. The book reading habit has also to be inculcated in women because of its positive impact on the whole family. The professionals will be encouraged to read more, so as to enhance their caliber and competence. This is a huge task – and that is why the NBPP is determined to take up this challenge with all its might and resources. All possible use will be made of the media, both print and electronic, for propagating the book reading habit. A large number of workshops will be organized at all levels to spread the message of book reading habit, far and wide. A scheme of Book Coupons will be introduced by offering attractive discounts to readers in order to encourage the reading habit and also to increase the sale of books. Children will be encouraged to donate a book to a library or to gift a book to another child. For example, a student of class 8 can donate a text book to a student coming to class 7. If a large number of children start donating a book each, it will create an excellent ambience for sharing of books and the Book Promotion. National Book Sector Surveys reveal reading habits of people in the country. It is necessary not only for book development planning, but also for Book Promotion activities. A detailed ‘National Youth Readership Survey’ among the rural and urban youth across the country comprises the readership status, patterns, trends, attitudes and possibilities among them. The survey helps to collect information regarding the status of readership level among various age groups, gender groups, socio-economic groups, regions and different languages. The collected data enables us to know about reading habits, frequency of reading, preference for certain types of books/magazines, and differences in different groups regarding their preferences etc. The National Youth Readership Survey conducted by NCAER for NBT in the year 2010 is very useful in this regard.