Chennai, Oct 13: Book fairs will become an annual fixture in all 38 districts of Tamil Nadu from 2026-27, with the state government sanctioning Rs 8.45 crore to organise the events and widen access to books across the state. The School Education Department approved the expenditure through a Government Order dated October 9.
The amount will be drawn from the revised estimates for 2026-27, providing financial support for conducting the fairs during the current financial year. Tamil Nadu launched the district book fair initiative in 2022-23 with a graded funding system. Districts were placed in three categories, and the assistance provided for organising each fair varied according to the category assigned to the district.
A-category districts were allocated Rs 17.5 lakh each, B-category districts Rs 14 lakh each and C-category districts Rs 12 lakh each. The government sanctioned Rs 4.965 crore in total that year to support the rollout of the district-level programme. Further allocations sustained the initiative in 2023-24 and 2024-25.
The latest order extends that support and provides for fairs to be held every year in every district from 2026-27, giving the programme a continuing statewide framework. At Rs 8.45 crore, the latest allocation is Rs 3.485 crore higher than the amount sanctioned when the initiative began.
The funding will meet the expenditure involved in conducting the fairs across Tamil Nadu’s 38 districts. By providing for the events every year, the government has given the programme a continuing funding framework. The annual arrangement offers a basis for organising district fairs regularly and extending opportunities for participation across the state.
The fairs are expected to help readers and students access books closer to home, while giving publishers opportunities to reach audiences in different districts. Their statewide coverage could also broaden participation in literary events beyond the larger cities. Holding fairs across the districts is expected to bring such events within easier reach of people living outside major urban centres.
Readers who have fewer opportunities to attend large book fairs could benefit from events organised closer to their communities. The arrangement seeks to sustain district-level literary events, widen their reach and make opportunities to browse and buy books more regularly available across Tamil Nadu.
IANS