The scheme was launched during the 2nd five-year plan for the purpose of propagation of Hindi in non-Hindi speaking areas/union territories. Under this scheme duly selected books/magazines are supplied free of cost to educational institutions, public libraries and voluntary Hindi organizations of the above areas. Thus Hindi books pertaining to popular science, humanities and composite culture not only impart knowledge and create national integrity, at the same time original and translated Hindi books related to literary criticism & creative literature also play an important role in forming the atmosphere of national brotherhood and creating a bond of friendship between different people speaking different languages.

Selection process

The Directorate purchases Hindi books/magazines for free distribution as per the specified yearly budget. A well-planned selection procedure is being followed to perform this work. There are certain steps which are given below: -

• Formation of books selection committee. This committee is formed for two years with the approval of the Ministry. The members of the committee are nominated as under: -
  
  • Chairman,Joint. Secretary (Languages)
  • Eminent Hindi Critics
  • Famous Hindi writers
  • Renowned Hindi Journalists
  • Scholars of Indian philosophy, religion and culture
  • Hindi Scholars of non-Hindi speaking areas
  • Member Secretary, (Director-C.H.D.)
• Advertisement:- Every year an advertisement is published in prominent national/ regional papers through which the books based on literature and popular science etc. are invited from publishers/ writers for consideration.
• Listing and Classification of proposed books/magazines: A proper list is prepared after checking the books/magazines received in response to its advertisement.
• Convening the meeting of Books Selection Committee: - The Director, Member Secretary organizes the meeting every year. The meeting is generally organized for three days. The committee selects books/magazines after thoroughly going through the detailed list and perusal of all books presented for selection. On the last day of the meeting, with the consent of members the master copy of the selected books and magazines is prepared. The director is empowered to carry out partial changes in the main list recommended by Books Selection Committee to suit its prescribed budget allocations.
• Purchase of Books/Magazines: - According to the aforesaid our final list, orders are placed for purchase of books/magazines by the directorate. The total no. of copies of books to be purchased depends on the price of the book. The total no. of copies of magazines is fixed by the Committee at the time of their selection. At present, the maximum limit of payment to publishers/writers is fixed at Rs. 40,000/- only, whereas for a magazine it is upto Rs. 25,000/- only in a year.

Important points for selection of books:

Under this scheme, books of the following categories are selected:

• Narrative literature (Novel & Story)
• Play and Poetry
• Essay, Rekha Chitra, Travelogue, Memories
• Biography and Autobiography and
• books based on Popular Science and General Knowledge.

Following points are also taken into consideration before selection:

• The content of the book should not be controversial.
• The book must have been published during the last five years.
• At the same time the books, already purchased by the Directorate at any time under this scheme are not considerable.
• Books should be written in simple and easy Hindi.
• They must be printed in attractive, neat and clean form.
• The books should be interesting, informative and educational in nature.
• Generally the books published with the grant of any govt. institute or NGOs are not selected for purchase until they are extraordinarily of high quality and are useful for Non-Hindi speaking areas.
• Maximum three books at one time of an author can be selected for purchase.

Magazines: -

Under this scheme, 10% amount of the prescribed budget is reserved for purchasing magazines. Literary, non-commercial and regularly published magazines are given priority in selection and are purchased on yearly basis. Following decisions have been taken from time to time regarding purchasing of the magazines by the book selection committee: -

• Maximum difference of 25% in the institutional price and individual price of the magazines will be admissible to the Directorate. (Minutes, 1999)
• In case of regularly published magazines, there will be permission of making payment for only one of the joint issue in a year. (Minutes, 1999)
• In case of magazines, which are published late and are selected for purchase, the date of publication will be valid for placing of purchase order. Month and year of publication should be printed on the cover page of magazines. (Minutes, 2001)
• On the basis of satisfactory annual report, purchase of magazines for the next year could be continued.

Other conditions relating to selection/purchase of Books/Magazines.

• Printed price on books/magazines would be accepted. Price written by hand/pasted slip or by stamping would not be admissible.
• Minimum 25% discount is asked for the purchase of Books. However, suitable books with a higher discount are preferred. No discount is required for the purchase of Magazines.
• Publishers/Writers would have to bear the packing and transportation expenditure while supplying the selected books to the Directorate. Publishers/Organizers of magazines would have to bear themselves postal expenditure while sending the selected magazines as per prescribed address list forwarded to them by the Directorate.
• One copy each of the proposed book and two latest issues of magazine should be sent free of cost for consideration. These sample copies are not returned to the Publishers/Writers/Editors etc. even if they are not selected for purchase.
• Last date of receipt of books/magazines is within one month form the date of publication of advertisement. Books under any circumstances, received after the last date will not be considered.
• Each publisher can submit a maximum number of 8 titles only for consideration. It is mandatory that all these titles bear the name of the same publisher who submits them for consideration
• Only such books should be sent for consideration which have been published during the period of last five years and the same have not been published with the grant of any Institution or Govt.
• The following details (typed) on the inner page of the Book are necessary to be pasted: -
  
  • Title of the Book.
  • Name of the writer
  • Original or translated
  • Name and address of the publisher
  • Publication year
  • Subject
  • Printed Price
  • Discount
  • Address for mailing purchase order
  • A certificate signed by the proposer to the effect that this book had not been purchased by the Directorate in the past and that it is his own publication. In case of Magazines, it is required to write annual subscription, Periodicity and address for sending purchase order.
• The decision of Govt. of India regarding the selection and total no. of books to be purchased will be final and binding.
• PAN of publishers is required at the time of submission of books selected. Intimation regarding books and magazines selected for purchase should be given. No correspondence will be entertained in respect of other books.
• Canvassing in any form for selection of books/magazines will not be entertained.

Distribution of Books/Magazines.

Under this scheme, the purchased Books/Magazines are being sent to the Libraries/institutions as under:- In Non Hindi speaking states

• Libraries of Universities
• Colleges
• Kendriya Vidyalayas, Navodaya Vidyalayas and Govt. schools.
• Important educational institutions/voluntary Hindi organizations and Public Libraries.

A dispatch-list (Mailing List) has been prepared with the approval of the Director for distribution of Books/Magazines. From time to time, on the basis of recommendation of Regional Officers of the directorate after obtaining direct request from the aforesaid institutions, the mailing list is being updated with the approval of Director.