BOOKS ON BUILDERS OF MODERN INDIA RELEASED
The Minister for Information
and Broadcasting, Smt. Sushma Swaraj released three books, C.
Rajagopalachari, Harekrushna Mahtab and Bidhan Chandra Roy, brought
out by Publications Division, at a function here today. The books
are a part of the Division’s series on Builders of Modern India.
This series includes detailed, authentic and well-researched books
on the life and works of important personalities who have contributed
to the building of modern India.
Releasing the books, Smt. Swaraj
said that the high values, which these stalwarts cherished and
protected zealously, need to be inculcated among the present and
coming generations. The Minister of State for Information and
Broadcasting, Shri Ramesh Bais said that similar biographies are
also being published on the lives of other great leaders.
The biographers S/Shri M. N.
Das, Nitish Sen Gupta and R. K. Murthy said that these leaders
reconciled the state aspirations with national interests.
The books on C. Rajagopalachari
by Shri R.K. Murthy gives a deep insight in to Rajaji’s multifaceted
personality – Rajajji the philosopher, the story teller, the statesman
and the ‘emperor among patriots’. The author is a well-known short
story writer with several books, articles and skits to his credit.
The biography of Harekrushna
Mahtab contains a detailed life sketch of this freedom fighter
who is considered to be the builder of modern Orissa. It has been
co-authored by Prof. M.N. Das, former Vice Chancellor of Utkal
University, Member of Rajya Sabha and a close associate of Shri
Harekrushna Mahtab; and Shri C. P. Nanda, a research scholar and
reader at Ravenshaw College, Cuttack.
The life sketch of the physician,
chief minister and maker of modern West Bengal, Dr. Bidhan Chandra
Roy has been written by Dr. Nitish Sengupta, former Secretary
to the Government of India who, as a young administrator, had
a chance to see Dr. B. C. Roy working. Dr. Sengupta is at present
Member of Parliament and Director General of International Management
Institute, New Delhi.
Publications Division, a media
unit of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is one of the
leading Publication Houses in the country. It holds the exclusive
mandate for preserving national heritage and disseminating information
through the production and sale of low priced, quality reading
material on subjects of national importance. The Division’s books
are well researched, authentic, detailed and cover subjects like
history and culture, biographies, science and technology, country
and people, children’s literature, speeches of prime ministers
and presidents and reference books like India and Bharat. It brings
out over 150 books every year. In 2001-2002 it published 157 books
in English. Hindi and other Indian languages. Publications Division
also publishes about 21 magazines including Yojana in 13 languages,
Employment News/Rozgar Samachar in Hindi, English and Urdu, Kurukshetra
in Hindi & English, Ajkal in Hindi and Urdu and Bal Bharati
in Hindi.
Besides this, the Division
has brought out the Complete Works of Mahatma Gandhi in 100 hard
bound volumes in Hindi and English and also a multimedia CD in
Hindi and English containing 15 minutes of his voice, 30 minutes
of film, about 550 photographs and e-book of over 55,000 pages
based on his collected works. The books and journals of Publications
Division are very moderately priced and hence are within reach
of the common masses. However, despite its social commitment the
division is consistently making profits.
