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Offering books at throw-away prices

The state of affairs in Delhi University libraries may be a matter of debate when it comes to maintenance of quality, but this week witnesses a rare gesture from them with over a lakh of books being made available to students at takeaway prices of just Re. 1 and Rs. 3.

With many of the University's constituent libraries that were operating from rented premises facing closure because of low utility, the authorities decided to dispose of and relocate the books in the best possible way.

Starting this Monday, a five-day exhibition of written-off books from the constituent libraries has been started. Meant for undergraduate students who had access to these libraries apart from their own college libraries, the University is now gearing up to provide new books to give support to the revised syllabi of various courses.

The exhibited books were written off after a due procedure, with the books being disposed of in three different ways. While a number of them have been donated to libraries that did not have the concerned titles, some of the unusable books have been sold to Khadi Gram Udyog for re-cycling.

But the best part for students is the fact that many books are being donated to students and university staff members against a token payment of a mere Re. 1. From Premchand's classics to books used by students for their courses,1.75 lakh books have much to offer despite being declared "written-off'' by the University.

The Delhi University Library System has more than 35 libraries that are managed from the Central Library and cover different disciplines. Relocation and disposal of books may be a regular activity of the University library to make way for new arrivals, but this time it has clearly made way for the right shelves.

* * *

The Management Development Institute (MDI) in Gurgaon has in collaboration with the Union Ministry of Power and USAID launched a new post-graduate diploma programme in Energy Management.

Introduced under the Distribution Reform, Upgrades and Management (DRUM) Project, the course has been designed jointly by the Power Ministry and USAID to demonstrate " the best commercial and technological practices that improve the quality and reliability of `last mile' power distribution in urban and rural areas in the country".

A 15-month course that requires a year's stay at the MDI campus and a three-months In-Company dissertation, the course is targeted at executives of SEBs and Central State and private power utilities with at least 15 years' experience.

Lakshmi B. Ghosh

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