Particulars of Department’s functions and duties

NBT was established in 1957 by the Government of India as an autonomous
organization under Ministry of Human Resource Development, Department of
Secondary and Higher Education to promote books and the reading habit among the
populace in the country.
The objects for which the Trust is established are :
a) to produce and to encourage the production of good literature, and to
make such literature available at moderate prices to the public;
b) in furtherance of the above objectives to publish more particularly
books of the following types in English, Hindi and other Indian
languages recognized in the Constitution of India:
i) the classical literature of India;
ii) outstanding works of Indian authors in Indian languages and
their translation from one Indian language to another;
iii) translation of outstanding books from foreign languages;
iv) outstanding books of modern knowledge for popular diffusion;
c) to bring out book lists, arrange exhibitions and seminars and take all
necessary steps to make the people book minded;
d) to establish or promote the formation of Regional Book Trusts in
different parts of the country with objectives similar to those of the
Trust;
e) to take over or amalgamate with any other Society, Trust, Institute or
Association, having objects wholly or in part similar to the objects of
the Trust, and to aid any such existing institution in such manner as the
Executive Committee of the Trust may think fit;
f) to acquire by gift, purchase, lease or otherwise any property, movable
or immovable, which may be necessary or convenient for the purposes
of the Trust and to construct, alter and maintain any building or
buildings for purposes of the Trust;
g) to draw, make, accept, endorse, discount and negotiate Government of
India and other Promissory Notes, Bills of Exchange, Cheques and
other Negotiable Instruments;
h) to invest the funds of the Trust in such securities or in such manner as
may, from time to time, be determined by the Executive Committee
and, from time to time, to sell or transfer such investments;
i) to sell, transfer, lease, or otherwise dispose of all or any property of the
Trust;
and
j) to do all such things as the Trust may consider necessary, incidental or
conducive to the attainment of the above objects.