Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], November 13 : Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan graced the Ahmedabad International Book Festival 2025, being organised from November 13th to 23rd 2025 at Sabarmati Riverfront Event Centre, Paldi.
During the event, the Union Minister said, "First of all, I congratulate the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) and the NBTI (National Book Trust of India). They have been organising a beautiful Book Fair in Ahmedabad consistently for many years. This time, they have taken it to a global standard and organised it beautifully by the Riverfront.'
Speaking at the Book Fair, he elaborated that over 300 publishers, from Gujarat and beyond, have participated in the event.
"More than 300 publishers from Gujarat, from various states of the country, and national-level publishers have gathered here in Gujarat," he said.
Furthermore, Pradhan credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for signifying the importance of books and for guiding the nation regarding the Literary Movement, Library Movement, and the Book Fair.
"Gujarat has always emphasised reading and teaching. It is an intellectual state, a thinking state. In a thinking state, books play a very significant role as a catalyst. It is the insistence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the new generation should continue the tradition of taking interest in reading, based on old books as well as technology," he said.
"Ever since he was the Chief Minister of Gujarat, and now as he holds the post of the country's executive head, he has consistently provided guidance regarding the Library Movement, the Book Fair, and the Literary Movement," he added.
The Union Minister emphasised that the main objective of the Book Fair is to ensure that the new generation of Gujarat enhances their reading interest, stays engaged with technology, and also improves their practice of reading the original physical books.
Speaking on the New Education Policy (NEP), he said, "The National Education Policy 2020 is being implemented vigorously across the country. The first pillar of its insistence is that children's education should be in their mother tongue to enhance their understanding and develop their original thinking."
He further highlighted that Gujarat is adopting the NEP rules, incorporating Gujarati-language-based education for children, and moving ahead with the rest of the nation.
"All parts of the country and all states have made arrangements for mother-tongue-based education even before... Gujarat, too, by having Gujarati language-based education, which is happening here in this state, will see the original vision fully realised," he stated.