Justice Ranganath Pandey stresses the need for a strong judiciary at the launch of a book on judicial reforms

Lucknow: Contemporary literature, judicial reforms and emerging literary voices took centre stage on the ninth day of the 23rd National Book Fair at Balrampur Garden on Ashok Marg in Lucknow on Friday. With the fair scheduled to conclude on October 11, book discussions, launches, cultural performances and literary gatherings continued to attract visitors.

Organised around the theme of Vande Mataram, the fair features works by celebrated authors such as Premchand, Mahadevi Verma, Harivansh Rai Bachchan, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, Rabindranath Tagore, Nirala, Dinkar, Krishna Chander, Sharat Chandra, Mahasweta Devi and Kamleshwar. Alongside established classics, contemporary Hindi literature exploring society, politics and human emotions is drawing considerable interest.

Among the titles attracting readers are Shailesh Kumar’s poetry collection Pehla Panna, Ambar Pandey’s story collection Lawaris Samaan Ka Kamra, and Himanshu Srivastava’s novels Nadi Phir Bah Chali and Lohe Ke Pankh. Other popular books include Pradeep Audichya’s Nithalla Chintan, Mamta Kalia’s Yaadon Ki Virasat, the translated work Havakhore by Frank Buijs, Divya Prakash Dubey’s Tension Mat Le Yaar and Neelotpal Mrinal’s Vishwaguru, which explores the struggles of unemployed youth.

At the Rekhta stall, readers explored Hindi and Urdu poetry by renowned poets, including Mirza Ghalib, Mir Taqi Mir, Bashir Badr, Nida Fazli and Umair Najmi. Collections such as Har Mauke Ke Liye Sher and Belagaam Shayari also featured among the offerings. Poetry and fiction titles were available in large numbers at stalls run by Vani, Jnanpith, Rajpal, Prabhat, Rajkamal, Setu, Samayik, Bodh Ras, Sahitya Mandal, Authors Adda, Navpallav, Rekhta, Dinkar Pustakalaya and Flydreams.

Judicial Reforms and Institutional Accountability

A major highlight of the day was the release of advocate Rajendra Prasad Sharma’s book, Judicial Reform Through Institutional Introspection, organised by the Join Hands Foundation. Justice Ranganath Pandey unveiled the book and emphasised the importance of a strong judiciary in a functioning democracy.

The discussion, conducted by Radheshyam Dixit and Abha Dixit, examined judicial capacity, administration and accountability in the digital age. Speakers stressed that meaningful reform begins when constitutional principles are implemented within institutions themselves.

The session focused on the need for institutional introspection and greater accountability to strengthen the judicial system.

Book Launches and Literary Discussions

The fair also hosted the tenth edition of Kriti Aur Kritikar, organised by the Pt Brijmohan Awasthi Susmriti Sansthan and conducted by Sarla Asmaan. Author Mahendra Bhishma offered his observations, while several writers presented and discussed their works.

Participants included Dr Gopal Narayan, Dr Nidhi Agrawal from Jhansi, Dr Archana Prakash, Payal Lakshmi Soni, Dr Vidyasagar Upadhyay from Ballia, Sunil Iyer, Kamini Srivastava and Pankaj Krishna. Their works included titles such as Yuddh, Divya Sarovar, Sankranti Ka Sansar and Silvatein.

Earlier in the day, three books by Dr Neelam Rakesh were released. At a programme organised by the Arya Pratinidhi Sabha, Roopchandra Deepak spoke on the Manusmriti, while Vishwavrat Shastri discussed the fundamental principles of religion. Children from Dayanand Sadan in Motinagar presented a yoga demonstration.

Authors Interact with Readers

Under the Samvaad with the Author series, Shivi Gupta moderated discussions with Pooja Srivastava on her books Swabodh and Sw Se Samashti Tak, and with Aditya on The Purpose Code and Prashn Ke Uttar. Poetry presentations were organised by Revant and Sahitya Vithika.

At the second Creator Lounge, students from National PG College participated in an open-mic session, presenting their creative work and ideas. The Uttar Pradesh Sahitya Sabha hosted a Manas Samvad session in which Yogesh Shukla interviewed Om Mishra.

Young writers also received a platform to share their work. High school student Samriddhi spoke about her English-language book, while Riddhi-Siddhi, Aviral and other participants presented their performances.

Free Entry and Discounts for Visitors

The National Book Fair remains open to visitors free of charge from 11 am to 9 pm daily. Organisers are offering a minimum discount of 10 per cent on every book purchased, making the event an attractive destination for readers, students, researchers and literature enthusiasts ahead of its October 11 conclusion.