Pradhan inaugurates Ahmedabad International Book Festival, urges youth to cultivate reading habit

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday (November 14, 2025) stressed the transformative power of books, calling them a “catalyst in life,” and urged the younger generation to develop a stronger reading habit.

Mr. Pradhan, along with Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, inaugurated the Ahmedabad International Book Festival 2025 and the Food for Thought Fest at the Sabarmati Event Centre.

Speaking at the event, the Minister praised Gujarat’s legacy in education and intellectual pursuits, describing it as an “intellectual State” that has long been at the forefront of reading and teaching traditions.

“I congratulate the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) and the National Book Trust (NBT) for consistently organising remarkable book fairs in the city. This year, they have elevated it to a global level, with participation from over 300 publishers across India,” he said.

Highlighting the importance of blending traditional reading with technology, Mr. Pradhan said the younger generation should embrace both printed and digital formats. He added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had always promoted the library and literary movement, both during his tenure as Gujarat Chief Minister and now as the country’s leader.

“The book fair will help nurture reading habits among the youth,” he said, adding later on X that the event would further strengthen the library movement and reading culture.

Encouraging people to attend, he wrote, “I invite everyone, especially the people of Ahmedabad, to participate in this celebration of books, authors, culture, creativity, and culinary experiences.”

Mr. Pradhan and CM Patel also visited the Food for Thought Fest, which will run until 16 November. The book festival, part of the Vanche Gujarat 2.0 initiative, will remain open from 13 to 23 November.

The food festival is being organised by the AMC in collaboration with the South Asian Association for Gastronomy (SSG). Ahmedabad Mayor Pratibha Jain, Municipal Commissioner Banchhanidhi Pani and several dignitaries were also present at the inauguration.