Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], September 12 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated the 5th Gomti Book Festival-2026 at Lucknow University on Saturday.
Ahead of the event, the Education Ministry's apex body, the National Book Trust, announced that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is attending as the chief guest and invited book lovers, literature enthusiasts, and cultural patrons to participate on this special occasion.
The nine-day Gomti Book Festival commenced on September 12 and will run through September 20, showcasing an extensive selection of literature across genres for all age groups. Over 120 publishers from across the country have set up more than 200 stalls at the venue.
According to the National Book Trust (NBT), the event will feature literary sessions, author interactions, panel discussions, book launches, cultural performances, and children's activities throughout the festival. Attendees will also have access to the Rashtriya e-Pustakalaya, India's national digital library, which provides free access to over 3,000 e-books across multiple genres and Indian languages.
Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Union Women and Child Development Minister Annapurna Devi and Baby Rani Maurya participated in the 9th National Nutrition Month programme at the Rudraksh Convention Centre in Varanasi on September 9.
Addressing the launch of the 9th National Nutrition Month in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said Anganwadi centres and Basic Education Council schools would become the primary centres for building a self-reliant and developed India, asserting that the foundation of the country’s future begins in villages and streets.
CM Yogi said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had initiated steps in 2014 to strengthen the foundation of the country’s future, based on a model adopted in 2001 when Modi was the Gujarat Chief Minister.
Speaking about Uttar Pradesh, the Chief Minister said that before 2017, Anganwadi centres were dilapidated. He said that in the last nine and a half years, more than 70,000 Anganwadi centres had been renovated.
Yogi said priority had been given to Anganwadi centres in budgetary allocations under the State and Central Finance Commissions. He added that Bal Vatikas were now operating at the centres, where children learn alphabets and numbers through play.
Recalling the condition of Anganwadi centres before 2017, Yogi said many centres lacked drinking water, toilets and hot cooked food, while Anganwadi workers faced difficulties over delayed honorariums.
He also alleged that an investigation was ordered after it was found in 2017 that a liquor mafia was supplying recipes to Anganwadi centres in Uttar Pradesh, and the quality of the supplies was examined.
Yogi said the theme of this year’s National Nutrition Month, “My Anganwadi, My Responsibility!”, should not be viewed as the government’s responsibility alone, but as the responsibility of every Anganwadi worker, Gram Panchayat and citizen. (ANI)
UP CM Yogi Adityanath inaugurates 5th Gomti Book Festival-2026 at Lucknow University
