{"id":109661,"date":"2026-02-10T09:11:11","date_gmt":"2026-02-10T03:41:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/?p=109661"},"modified":"2026-02-10T09:11:11","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T03:41:11","slug":"day-4-at-goa-book-festival-literature-technology-education-and-creative-activities-take-centre-stage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/?p=109661","title":{"rendered":"Day 4 at Goa Book Festival: Literature, Technology, Education and Creative Activities Take Centre Stage"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Goa Khabar: Day 4 at the Goa Book Festival promised a rich and reflective journey across literature, history, law, language, and the future of knowledge, bringing together some of the country\u2019s most insightful voices. As the day unfolded, a steady stream of visitors filled the book fair at DB Bandodkar Grounds, Panaji, transforming the venue into a hub of culture. Families lingered over bookstalls, tourists wandered in drawn by curiosity, schoolchildren explored the world of books with visible excitement, and college students engaged thoughtfully with sessions and displays.<\/strong><\/div>\n
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In the Author\u2019s Corner, session \u201cStories of the Soul: Life, Death, and What Endures,\u201d author Medha Khasgiwale, in conversation with Sanjay Chakrane, examined why human beings fear death and how this fear is rooted in identifying the self solely with the physical body. She spoke about the continuous cycle of death and renewal within the body at a cellular level, and introduced the idea of human existence as comprising the physical body, the subtle body (mind, intellect, and ego), and consciousness. Drawing from philosophical and spiritual traditions, the discussion distinguished between ego-driven identity and pure consciousness, arguing that death is not the end of existence but the withdrawal of conscious energy from the body.<\/div>\n
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This was followed by the session \u201cMoving Towards Digital Library\u201d was led by Dr. Sushant Tandel, Curator, Goa Central Library, who discussed how reading habits are evolving and how libraries must adapt to changing times. Addressing a gathering of librarians, he explained that while the internet offers vast amounts of information, the major challenge today is ensuring the authenticity and reliability of that information, highlighting the crucial role of librarians in verification and curation. Through his presentation, Dr. Tandel outlined the essential infrastructure of a digital library and spoke about the advantages of digital libraries such as access to vast resources and round-the-clock availability.<\/div>\n
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The next session, \u201cTranslation & Accessibility: Making Literature Inclusive\u201d explored how translation and technology, including AI, can make literature more accessible to diverse audiences. In conversation with Purnanand Chari, Gopinath Vishnu Gawas highlighted how AI tools can assist in translation and content adaptation, while emphasizing that thoughtful, ethical use is crucial to preserve the essence and originality of texts. The discussion underlined that combining human insight with technological support can bridge linguistic gaps.<\/div>\n
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A Publishers\u2019 Meet was held during the Goa Book Festival 2026 by the National Book Trust (NBT) under the Ministry of Education, in the presence of Shri Kiran Thakur, Chief Patron, Goa Book Festival, Shri N. Sampath, Assistant Director (Exhibitions), and Shri Ashok Dhankar, Project Officer. Around 35\u201340 publishers from across India, including Goa, participated in the session. Discussions focused on ISBN facilitation, support mechanisms for publishers, visibility of publications, and professional capacity building. Publishers shared suggestions to further streamline processes, strengthen national bibliographic systems, and expand training opportunities. The session reinforced NBT\u2019s commitment to engaging with publishers and strengthening India\u2019s publishing ecosystem.<\/div>\n
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In the session \u201cA Discussion on After Me, Chaos: Astrology in the Mughal Empire,\u201d journalist M. J. Akbar, in conversation with Vedanta Agarwal, examined the central role of astrology in Mughal governance and decision-making. Drawing on primary sources, he explained that astrology was not treated as superstition but as a rational tool consulted at moments of crisis such as war, rebellion, illness, succession, and exile. From Emperor Humayun\u2019s reliance on astrologers during periods of defeat and displacement to Akbar\u2019s institutionalisation of the post of Jyotiraj (chief court astrologer), astrological timing influenced military campaigns, coronations, daily schedules, and imperial policy. The session underscored astrology as an embedded administrative and cultural practice within the Mughal Empire.<\/div>\n
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In the next session, lawyer Sumant Batra discussed his book \u201cThe Life and Legacy of Arun Jaitley\u201d in conversation with Vedanta Agrawal, highlighted three key reasons for undertaking the project: documenting the life of a statesman for future generations, showcasing Jaitley\u2019s unique ability to build consensus across political divides, and his personal admiration for Jaitley\u2019s career as a lawyer, policymaker, and leader. The discussion delved into how Jaitley\u2019s early experiences, including his family\u2019s migration from Lahore during Partition, his upbringing in Delhi, and his formative years in the Supreme Court, shaped his resilience, worldview, and appreciation for learning even from adversaries.<\/div>\n
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At the Children\u2019s corner, waves of wonder, stories, riddles and creativity continued to gently hit the shore. Over 2500 students explored the art of character creation through “Let\u2019s Design a Mascot” by Team NCCL, crafting innovative mascots for the e-library. In “Tell a Tale” by storyteller Akanksha Datta, young listeners worked through a fun, puzzling story of a mysterious puppeteer who spoke only in riddles, asking students to solve his riddles. The day concluded on a creative note with cartoonist Ajit Narayan conducting a “Cartoon Making Workshop”. Students were introduced to the basics of cartoon making, learning to create different expressions and faces using simple geometric shapes.<\/div>\n
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The day concluded with a powerful performance of \u2018Shivpratap\u2019, a grand musical-theatrical production that poetically traced the life and vision of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Narrated through the voices of the Sahyadri mountains and the river Krishna, the performance brought history to life, highlighting Shivaji Maharaj\u2019s journey from his birth and the guidance of Rajamata Jijabai to the challenges of oppression and the founding of Swarajya.<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Goa Khabar: Day 4 at the Goa Book Festival promised a rich and reflective journey across literature, history, law, language, and the future of knowledge, bringing together some of the country\u2019s most insightful voices. As the day unfolded, a steady stream of visitors filled the book fair at DB Bandodkar Grounds, Panaji, transforming the venue […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25169,"featured_media":109662,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[155,6],"tags":[3794],"class_list":["post-109661","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-155","category-6","tag-featured"],"read":true,"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109661","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/25169"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=109661"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109661\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":109663,"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109661\/revisions\/109663"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/109662"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=109661"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=109661"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=109661"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}