PUNE: Almost over a decade ago, Savitribai Phule Pune University’s (SPPU) publishing house was closed as the trend of reading books online had become popular. However, now, the varsity has revived the publication house due to growing demand for few of its old and rare books that used to be published once upon a time on the varsity campus.
The varsity is now ready to restart by publishing few of its best selling books pertaining to different genres like mythology, anthropology, history, etc. Many of these books are as old as 60 years.
”One of the strongest features of any university is its publication department and ours had shut many years ago. Earlier, they would sell forms there as well. But, ever since the online system of application forms and book reading, etc began, after it got shut,” said SPPU Vice-Chancellor (VC) Nitin Karmalkar. “Now, we have revamped it,” he added.
“The work for it began in December 2018 and all old books have been taken for republishing now. These books will be sold regularly. Even earlier, those books were sold at a modest price,” said Karmalkar.
“The university will also promote good litterateurs, who want to publish their books,” he added.
“Books on the history of the university or about its heritage building’s or history of India, a few lecture contents by eminent professors, convocation addresses, etc, which were published by university then, are generally in demand from students and people. We procured around 25 books of various subjects like Sanskrit Dhatupathas, Jawaharlal Nehru, the ecstasy and the agony by PH Patwardhan, Vedic Religion and Mythology by RN Dandekar and many more,” said Aparna Rajendra, Director of Jaykar Knowledge Resource Centre.
VARIETY OF BOOKS
- SPPU has identified around 70 books and about 35-40 books published by SPPU have previously been procured by Jayakar Library, which are already in the printing mode.
- Among these identified old books, several books were published in 1959, 1963-65, 1980, 1999 etc.
- These books will be sold to those who visit SPPU during heritage walks organised at the campus.
