President Droupadi Murmu has inaugurated the "Festival of Libraries 2023" at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi. The two-day Festival, which is being organised by the Ministry of Culture, will highlight iconic libraries from across the world to initiate a conversation on the modernisation and digitisation of libraries in India.

Speaking on the occasion, President Murmu said, the development of libraries is linked to the development of society and culture. She said, it is also the measure of the progress of civilisation and culture. The President added that Libraries were used to act as a bridge between developed civilizations. President said, the effort to modernize and digitize libraries is very important. She said that libraries have become more accessible with the use of information and communication technology. She said, the National Virtual Library of India is being developed to fulfill the vision of One Nation One Digital Library.

She hoped that with the success of the National Mission on Libraries, the culture of connecting with libraries and reading books would be strengthened. The President also emphasised that libraries should become centers of social interaction, study, and contemplation.

Our Correspondent reports that the festival is a part of the second phase of the 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav' and is in line with the Prime Minister's vision to foster the development and digitisation of libraries and cultivate a culture of reading in India. It aims at facilitating the formulation of action-oriented policies for the development of Model Libraries in India, right down to the village and community levels.