5th Gomti Book Festival
On 12 September 2026 the Chief Minister opened the 5th Gomti Book Festival in Lucknow, organised by the National Book Trust, India from 12 to 20 September. Stalls have grown from about 80 in earlier editions to 250. He said village secretariats now have libraries and digital libraries, and asked other cities to hold such festivals.
- Edition
- 5th Gomti Book Festival
- Dates
- 12 to 20 Sep 2026
- Place
- Lucknow
- Organiser
- National Book Trust, India
- Stalls
- about 80 earlier, now 250
The Gomti Book Festival: what happened?
Book festivals bring readers, writers and publishers together. Lucknow’s Gomti festival has grown with each edition, and Gorakhpur has also held one.
- The CM opened the 05th Gomti Book Festival, held from 12 to 20 September, 2026 by the National Book Trust, India. [UP CM press note]
- Stalls have grown from about 80 to 250. [UP CM press note]
What else did the CM highlight?
- Libraries and digital libraries in village secretariats.
- Digital libraries and smart classes in council schools through Operation Kayakalp.
- An exhibition on Vande Mataram at the festival.
- Each young person should build a personal “book bank”.
Why does the Gomti Book Festival matter?
- Culture: Builds a reading habit beyond the syllabus.
- Rural reach: Village libraries take books to rural youth.
What can Prelims ask on the Gomti Book Festival?
- Gomti Book Festival is organised by the National Book Trust, India.
- 2026 was its 5th edition.
Read all of September 2026 in the monthly UP current affairs compilation →
How to use this in Mains
- Village digital libraries show the reading push reaching rural UP.
Quotable data pointThe CM opened the 05th Gomti Book Festival, held from 12 to 20 September, 2026 by the National Book Trust, India [UP CM press note].
UP Information Dept, CM press note 2026-09-12: मुख्यमंत्री ने ’05वें गोमती पुस्तक महोत्सव’ का शुभारम्भ किया (Hindi PDF)
Exam angle
GS-VI: culture.
Practice MCQs
Original practice questions (not PYQs).
The Gomti Book Festival in Lucknow is organised by
Answer (b) & explanation
UP CM press note, 12 Sep 2026.
Questions students ask about this
Who organises the Gomti Book Festival?
The National Book Trust, India.
When was the 2026 festival held?
From 12 to 20 September 2026, in Lucknow.
How many stalls did it have?
250, up from about 80 earlier.
Keep studying
Official source: UP Information Dept, CM press note 2026-09-12: मुख्यमंत्री ने ’05वें गोमती पुस्तक महोत्सव’ का शुभारम्भ किया (Hindi PDF)
facts from cited sources only; numbers machine-checked against source text; faculty review pending