In A Quest To Maintain Autonomy, National Book Trust Rejects MHRD Amendments To Its Memorandum of Association

The board of National Book Trust (NBT) has refused the proposal of the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) to amend its Memorandum of Association (MoA), Economic Times has reported. The amendment, according to the members would curb powers of the NBT chairperson.

This development has been seen as an ‘embarrassment’ to the government. However, the MHRD has decided to call a meeting of the members to reassure them that the amendments are not aimed at interfering with the board’s functioning. However, the report claims that the board’s position remains unchanged.

Former Panchjanya editor Baldeo Sharma is the current chairperson of NBT. Baldeo Sharma has been associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh. The Trust has Rita Chaudhary as its director. Rita Chowdhary is a Sahitya Akademi Award winner and a professor of political science, is also the wife of former president of Asom Gana Parishad (AGP)’s Chandra Mohan Patowary. Patowary had joined the BJP in 2014.