Gangtok, March 15 (IPR):
The third edition of the three-day Sikkim Book Fair, an initiative of the District Administrative Centre and organised by 24 Hours Inspired at MG Marg from March 13, concluded today. Principal Secretary, Education Department, Mr Sandeep Tambe, graced the final day as the chief guest.
In his keynote address, Mr. Sandeep Tambe expressed gratitude to the District Administrative Centre for organising the programme, stating that such initiatives have a positive impact on society.He emphasised the importance of reading as a means of gaining in-depth knowledge and making individuals more creative. Sharing his experience with reading, he said it enables people to travel without leaving their rooms. He added that reading helps individuals engage with intelligent minds, shapes their character, and makes them sharper and more articulate. He remarked that great leaders are also great readers and concluded by commending the platform for motivating people to cultivate habits that contribute to personal growth.
DC Gangtok, Mr Tushar Nikhare, in his address congratulated the winners for their performances in the competition. He expressed happiness at seeing local residents visiting the book stalls, noting that the growing interest in reading is a positive sign for society. He also conveyed his gratitude to the organisers and sponsors for their contribution towards promoting a constructive social initiative.
The DC expressed hope for increased participation in the coming years and assured that the next edition of the book fair would be organised on a larger scale. He further stated that the event would be held annually with the aim of achieving new milestones. In his concluding remarks, he thanked the students, faculty members, entrepreneurs and organisers for making the event a success.
The day began with a visit by the chief guest to the various stalls set up at the venue. The fair featured a range of stalls including departmental stalls, food stalls, SHGs, arts and crafts stalls, universities, consultancies, and the Asian Anime and Manga Academy, among others.
The day also witnessed a panel discussion on creative reading and writing, featuring Ms Sandhya Subba, Mr Ashim Basnet, Mr Sujeet and Mr Pankaj Giri. The session was moderated by Mr Diwakar Basnet.
Adding to the literary atmosphere, guest poets Ms Sandhya Subba and Ms Yogeeta Rai presented poetry recitations.
An inter-college poetry elocution competition in English, Hindi and Nepali was also held, featuring three participants from each college. The participating institutions included CAEPHT, ICFAI University, Medhavi Skills University, Sikkim Government College (Burtuk), Sikkim Law College, SRM University and SMIMS. The competition was judged by Ms Yogeeta Rai, Ms Sandhya Subba and Ms Neelam Gurung. The evaluation criteria included physical presence, voice and articulation, dramatic appropriateness, level of complexity, evidence of understanding and overall performance.
The second session began with poetry recitations by guest poets, followed by a panel discussion on the topic “Are books going to be replaced by technology?” where school teachers and lecturers debated the subject.
A one-on-one session with guest author Ms Shalini Modi was also held, during which she spoke about her inspiration and journey as an author. Ms Shalini Modi is an astrologer, author and expert in ancient Indian scriptures such as the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Puranas and the epics. She has authored works including The Eternal Sun, Seven Immortals and Shravan, Swar, Darshan, which are based on themes of Indian epics and philosophy.
During the programme, a prize distribution ceremony for the poetry recitation competition in the school and college/university categories was held. Trophies were presented to the winners by the DC Gangtok.
Modern Senior Secondary School secured first position at the school level, while Medhavi Skills University was declared the winner in the college/university category. Teachers from schools and faculty members from colleges and universities were also presented trophies by the guest author, Ms Shalini Modi.
DC Gangtok, Mr Tushar Nikhare, formally declared the closure of the three-day third edition of the Sikkim Book Fair.
Earlier, the welcome address was delivered by Additional District Collector, Gangtok, Mr Sisum Wangchuk Bhutia, while the vote of thanks was proposed by DC Gangtok, Mr Tushar Nikhare.
Also present during the closing ceremony were Additional Political Secretary to the Chief Minister, Mr Bishal Sharma (Pokhrel); Advisor to the Chief Minister, Mr Rohit Raj Maharaj; SDM (HQ), Mr Abhijeet Patil; Secretary, Higher Education, Mr Tashi Chopel Lepcha; BDO Rakdong-Tintek, Mr Pushkar Khatiwada; students and teachers from participating schools and colleges; members of 24 Hours Inspired; and other stakeholders.
Report from DIO-GANGTOK