GANGTOK: The three-day Sikkim Book Fair continued today at MG Marg in the presence of the Chief Secretary, Government of Sikkim, Mr R Telang, who attended the event as the Chief Guest.
The Sikkim Book Fair is an annual event, with its first edition held in 2024. This year marks the third edition of the fair. The event is being organised by 24Hours Inspired in collaboration with DAC Gangtok and powered by Oxford Bookstore. The fair is being held from March 13 to March 15, 2026.
Chief Secretary, Government of Sikkim, Mr R Telang, in his keynote address expressed appreciation to the District Administrative Centre for organising such a fair that promotes the benefits of inculcating reading habits in daily life. He emphasised the importance of increasing and maintaining attention span in a generation where it is on the decline.
He highlighted the risks of spending too much time on screens, explaining how it can affect focus, learning and well-being. He encouraged students to practice patience, make thoughtful choices and prioritise long-term rewards over short-term satisfaction.
He further advised students on the importance of perseverance and discipline and urged them to remain steadfast in pursuing their goals. He also emphasised the importance of giving quality time and attention to the youth, thereby strengthening bonds. He noted that reading teaches individuals the value of dedicating time to a particular subject, enabling them to develop a deeper understanding of it.
He concluded his address by stating that delayed gratification leads to lasting peace and happiness, which can be achieved by strengthening one’s attention span, with reading being one of the habits that helps develop it.
Earlier, during the welcome address, DC Gangtok Mr Tushar Nikhare stated that this year’s edition features engaging activities in addition to book stalls. He encouraged students to interact and actively participate in the various activities at the fair and to engage with stall owners who are aspiring entrepreneurs incubated through PAILA, in order to gain insights from their experiences and entrepreneurial journeys.
He further informed that from Monday onwards, in collaboration with Sikkim Inspires, pitching sessions will be held after office hours at the office of the District Collector for aspiring entrepreneurs to secure seed funding for their businesses. As of today, more than 60 businesses have registered, highlighting the growing interest in entrepreneurship in the state and moving towards the goal of self-reliance. He concluded by extending his best wishes to the participating students and sponsors of the fair for contributing to a cause that has a positive impact on society, and appealed for the continuation of this tradition in the years to come.
The day also witnessed a range of literary and cultural activities such as a Nukkad Natak on the importance of living in a digital generation, emphasising the dangers of cyber crime and the essential need to equip oneself with knowledge on cybersecurity, performed by students of Delhi Public School.
The programme also featured a panel discussion on creative writing curated by Mr Praveen Khaling, with authors Dr Kavita Lama and Mr Praveen Rai as panellists. The discussion provided insights into the craft of writing and encouraged aspiring writers to explore their creativity and develop their own literary voices.
The day further included a poetry recitation session by guest poets Mr Biswajeet Baskota, Ms Yumeeta Rai, Mr Ranjana Karki and Ms Sabina Rai, who captivated the audience with their verses.
An inter-school poetry elocution competition was also organised, with three participants from each school presenting poems in English, Hindi and Nepali respectively.
The competition was judged by Dr Pushpa Nepal, Mr Diwakar Basnet, Mr Amber Gurung and Mr Pravin Khaling on criteria including physical presence, voice and articulation, dramatic appropriateness, level of complexity, evidence of understanding and overall performance.
A panel discussion on the importance of inculcating reading habits among students was curated by Mr Diwakar Basnet, with participation from teachers of PM Shri Bojoghari Sr Sec School, West Point Senior Secondary School and Tashi Namgyal Academy.
The fair also witnessed the launch of two books, Her Little Heart, authored by Mr Adarsh Kharel, and Birds of Sikkim, a sketchbook published by 24Hours Inspired.
A one-to-one interactive session curated by Mr Prabal Rai featured guest author Ms Malini Banerjee, a nationally acclaimed writer renowned for her work You Had Me At Annyeong, who shared her experiences and engaged with the audience on her journey as a writer.
The event was also attended by Commissioner-cum-Secretary, UDD, Mr Jitendra Singh Raje; Commissioner, GMC, Mr Gayden Chopel; Additional District Collector Mr Sisum Wangchuk Bhutia; SDM (HQ) Mr Abhijeet Patil; Assistant Collector Gangtok Mr Bhawesh Khyalia; officials of the District Administrative Centre; members of 24Hours Inspired; and students and teachers from participating schools.
- IPR Report
