The Delhi World Book Fair saw some new innovative inventions in education on offer from the MBD Group.
The sudden change in weather may have been a setback for those with elaborate plans over the weekend but it did not deter visitors from thronging in large numbers to the World Book Fair that was held in New Delhi from January 7 to the 14th. The nine-day-long literary extravaganza was inaugurated by Minister of State for Human Resources Development Mahendra Nath Pandey. Despite the weather, thousands of young and old turned up at this annual event for book lovers.
A student of Delhi University sounded enthusiastic when she said: “All my friends were looking forward to the book fair for the last couple of days and damn! You have the weather gods playing spoilsport. Thankfully, it did not rain much in the morning and so we did not miss the opportunity.”
This year’s Book Fair theme was ‘Manushi’ -- a focus on writings on and by women; exhibiting the rich tradition of women writings from ancient times till present.” The National Book trust (NBT) and the organiser of the fair celebrated 60 years of its foundation by showcasing its journey in promoting books and reading at a special exhibit “This is no looking back!” The exhibit displays the varied activities that NBT has undertaken in promoting books including fairs organised across India, participation in international book fairs and its publishing programme, among others. On the other side the MBD Group, one of the leading education companies in India with over 60 years of experience, marked its presence in the book fair by launching a new line of Virtual Reality based content and device.
MBD’s new high quality, interactive 3D virtual reality simulations will be made available for students from Kindergarten to Grade 12 to make their concepts clear. Apart from the Group’s own VR device, MBD’s VR content is compatible with all other leading VR devices like Samsung Gear, Oculus Rift etc., for wider accessibility. As part of its virtual reality initiative, MBD will also be developing interactive walk-through such as the solar system, the zoo and other educational objects/environments. Also, the Group will be unveiling pocket-friendly MBD branded VR devices which will help students to enjoy learning through the virtual world.
At the fair, the MBD Group also showcased its English language lab, Augmented Reality Application - NYTRA, MBD E’cademy (ICT Classroom Solution), Octopus K-12 (SD Card Solution for K-12), MBD Kit (Mathematics and Science Kit), E-Books, Interactive E-Books and Educational Apps. The group’s stall had General Reading books, Text Books, Work Books, Refreshers, and Reference Books on display.
Apart from the VR content& device, MBD also introduced its e-book store/portal. Initially, the e-book portal will have books for the K-12 segment, covering all states, all subjects and all major boards. Moving forward, students can also access vocational and skill development books from the portal.
Among some of the highlights of the book fair, Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar launched Reflections of The Supreme, a book authored by Prof Prasanna Kumar Patasani and published by MBD at the MBD Group’s stall in Hall No 11. Others present on the occasion were Mrs Satish Bala Malhotra, Chairperson of MBD Group; Ms Monica Malhotra Kandhari, Managing Director of MBD Group; Ms Sonica Malhotra; Joint Managing Director of MBD Group; Harinarayan Rajbhar, Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha, and Prof Prasanna Kumar Patasani, Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha.
Dr Prasanna Kumar Patasani is a lawyer, philosopher and poet. He represents Odisha’s Bhubaneswar constituency in Parliament and is the Vice President and Founder Member of Biju Janata Dal (BJD). Patasani’s book narrates his spiritual journey and experience during his training in meditation at the Maharishi Institute of Creative Intelligence in Rishikesh.
Felicitating Ms Sanjana Sarin, winner of MBD Group’s Young Authors Contest ‘Unleash Your Creativity’, Javadekar appreciated MBD’s efforts to encourage young writers and provide them with a platform to showcase their work. He also advised young writers to keep writing their stories and ideas regularly as it will enhance their thinking process and bring out their creativity. The contest was launched in August 2016 to find, promote and nurture young talent by the MBD Group. Sanjana Sarin is a student of Somervila School; her story titled ‘Clouds and Orange Juice’ won after being judged by a panel comprising three eminent authors.
“We at MBD group have always stood for seeking and nurturing talent with an eye on delivering the best in terms of reader satisfaction. The ‘Unleash Your Creativity’ contest was an initiative to encourage creativity and cheer young talent. The response we got from the kids was overwhelming. We came across such beautiful stories that choosing a winner became really difficult,” Mrs Satish Bala Malhotra, Chairperson MBD Group, observed.
The HRD Minister also experienced MBD Group’s VRbased educational device and content.
MBD Group, a leading education company under the futuristic vision of the Founder of the Group, Shri Ashok Kumar Malhotra, has diversified into various industries including E-Learning, Capacity Building, Stationery, MLearning, Skill Development, Eco-Friendly Notebooks, Paper Manufacturing, ICT Infrastructure, Hospitality, Real Estate, Mall Development and Management. MBD Group has been continuously working for the cause of providing education to all with its mission to create an “MBD Product for every literate person”. The group has a presence in various countries including international offices in South Africa and Sri Lanka and the Middle East. For more information, please visit http://mbdgroup.com