NBT offers free download of books to encourage reading during coronavirus lockdown

With people across the country confined to their homes due to the 21-day lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus, the National Book Trust (NBT) is providing its select and best-selling titles for free download to encourage reading during the period.

As part of the #StayHomeIndiaWithBooks initiative, over 100 books are available for download from the NBT website, an autonomous body under the HRD Ministry.

"Available in Hindi, English, Asamiya, Bangla, Guajarati, Malayalam, Odia, Marathi, Kokborok, Mizo, Bodo, Nepali, Tamil, Punjabi, Telugu, Kannada, Urdu and Sanskrit, the books cover all genres of fiction, biography, popular science, teacher's handbook, and majorly books for children and young adults," a senior HRD Ministry official said.

"In addition, there are books by Tagore, by Premchand, and books on Mahatma Gandhi -- all in all there are books for everyone in the family to read and enjoy. More titles will be added to the list," the official added.

The select titles available for download also include-- Holidays Have Come, Animals You can't Forget, Nine Little Birds, The Puzzle, Gandhi Tatva Satkam, Women Scientists in India, Activity-Based Learning Science, A Touch of Glass, Gandhi: Warrior of Non-Violence, and many more.

"The PDFs are for reading only and any unauthorised or commercial use is not allowed," the official added.

Nearly 90 more coronavirus positive cases were reported in India taking the total number of cases to 606 on Wednesday while the number of deaths was 10, according to health ministry data.

The number of active COVID-19 cases stood at 553 while 43 people have been cured, discharged or migrated. The 606 positive cases includes 43 foreign nationals, the ministry said.