Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath urged children to invest their time in reading good books rather than spending hours on smartphones.
He appealed the inauguration of the Gorakhpur Book Festival 2025 at Deen Dayal Upadhyaya (DDU) University on Friday.
The National Book Trust (NBT) and DDU University have jointly organised the nine-day festival. It runs from November 1 to 9.
CM Yogi distributed books to students and interacted with them, highlighting the value of reading as a lifelong companion and guide.
Addressing students, the Chief Minister said, “A good book is a person’s truest companion and guide.” Referring to India’s ancient traditions, he emphasised the country’s guru-shishya and oral knowledge systems, noting that sages documented knowledge to pass it down to future generations.
He added that the double-engine government is establishing libraries across Uttar Pradesh.
Yogi said the government has established libraries in all 57,600 village secretariats. He added that the government has transformed 1.36 lakh out of 1.56 lakh primary schools with libraries and digital reading facilities. These initiatives aim to foster a culture of learning among children.
Knowledge, Culture & Thought Converge at the Festival
Acharya Pawan Tripathi, Treasurer of Shree Siddhivinayak Temple Trust, Mumbai, and member of NBT’s advisory committee, attended as the special guest.
He told the media that the festival’s venue in Guru Gorakhnath’s land reflected a divine design that links spiritual heritage with intellectual growth.
He added that under CM Yogi’s leadership, the state is witnessing a cultural and educational renaissance. “This festival will spread the light of education across Purvanchal and Uttar Pradesh, promoting book culture and nurturing responsible citizens who will contribute to nation-building,” he remarked.
Several dignitaries, including MP Ravi Kishan Shukla, attended the inaugural ceremony. MLAs Bipin Singh, Pradeep Shukla, Shriram Chauhan, Shravan Nishad, and Vimlesh Paswan were also present. Women’s Commission Vice-Chairperson Charu Chaudhary joined them at the event.
DDU Vice-Chancellor Prof Poonam Tandon and CM’s advisor Awanish Awasthi also attended the event. NBT Chairman Milind Marathe and Director Yuvraj Malik were present as well.
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