Digital Detox! This initiative by Rani Birla Girls' College to encourage 'Book Reading'

Ernest Hemingway had rightly said, 'There is no friend as loyal as a book.' However, with the increasing influence of social media in recent times, many academic experts claim that youngsters have slowly drifted away from the habit of reading. In such a scenario, Rani Birla Girls College, Kolkata has come up with a brilliant initiative to inculcate this habit among the students.

The college authorities, jointly with several other prominent colleges of the city have organised Knowledge 24', a two-day book fair on January 9-10 within the college premises. The fair was inaugurated by veteran educationist Prof Pabitra Sarkar and Poet Mandakranta Sen in the presence of Prof Srabanti Bhattacharya and Prof Arijit Saha, Principals of Rani Birla Girls' College and Dumdum Motijheel Rabindra Mahavidyalaya.

While Prof Pabitra Sarkar emphasised on the importance of book reading and talked about the changes which a good book can bring in a person's life, Mandakranta Sen urge parents to inculcate the habit of reading books in their kids since childhood.

"With social media taking the centre-stage over the past several years, students are gradually losing interest in reading. Hence, we along with several other colleges of the city have organised a two-day book fair to encourge students to take up reading books. The two-day book fair is open to all and everyone is welcome to visit it," said Prof Srabanti Bhattacharya.

Several publishers have set up a total of 11 book stalls at the college ground along with a few food stalls by the students.

"Books ranging from fiction to academics have been put on display. Ten publishers have set up their stalls at the book fair. The students have also set up a food stall. Apart from this, the fashion designing department of the college has set up a stall selling fabric-painted household items like cushion covers and handbags," said Dr Sanjukta Mitra, the college Librarian and one of the fair's organisers.

A lot of enthusiasm could be witnessed among the students and the visitors who thronged the stalls picking up their favourite author's books and looking for newly published books.

"I am excited to be a part of this book fair. Buying and reading books encourages and puts a different impetus to the minds of students when it comes to education. Book fair is a brilliant medium through which people will get to know about the books that are doing rounds and they can collect them according to their interests," said Sara Rahaman Sheikh, a student of the college.