Books and Authors - Current Affairs for December, 2016

Book entitled “Courts of India-Past to Present” was in news on 12th Dec 2016.

This coffee table book introduces the complexities of the Indian judiciary to common public in technical and non-technical manner.

The primary focus of the book is on the evolution of higher judiciary in India in the colonial period.

The book remarks that the establishment of HC in Bengal, Madras and Bombay provinces in the 19th century is the real beginning of functional higher judiciary in India.

It covers important events such as the establishment of the Federal Court under the GoI Act 1935 and the historic trial of last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar.

It also covers important judgements of the SC like Keshavananda Bharati Case (1973), Indira Sawhney Case (1992), SR Bommai Case (1994).

To maintain the simplicity, several photographs are included in the book that better illustrates the narrative in the book.

It was compiled by the Supreme Court Editorial Committee headed by Justice SA Bobde

It was published by the Publication Division of the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

The foreword of the 512 page book was written by CJI TS Thakur.

Three books including “Life at Rashtrapati Bhavan” and ‘Rashtrapati Bhavan: From Raj to Swaraj’ were released at a function held at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 11^th December 2016 by the President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President of India, Mohd. Hamid Ansari and Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi respectively.

Various initiatives were highlighted such as the Multi-Volume Documentation Project, Smart Gram Initiative, Visitor’s Conference, Laureates and Leaders Summit etc.

‘Rashtrapati Bhavan: From Raj to Swaraj’, is a book for children which recreates the story of Rashtrapati Bhavan from its inception as Government House, a symbol of imperial might, to the present day.

‘Life at Rashtrapati Bhavan’ is an attempt to record the human history of the residents living in the President’s Estate.

‘Indradhanush Volume-II’ is a compendium of music, dance, theatre and cinematic presentations organised at Rashtrapati Bhavan from mid 2014 to September 2016.

All three books have been released by Publications Division of I&B Ministry.

Rashtrapati Bhavan

• Formerly known as Viceroy’s House.
• Official home of President of India.
• Address: Rashtrapati Bhawan, President's Estate, New Delhi, Delhi 110004
• Opened: 1929
• Architect: Edwin Lutyens

Cricketing sensation Sachin Tendulkar’s autobiography “Playing It My Way” has won the Crossword Book of the Year award (autobiography category). It is penned by well known cricket historian and writer Boria Majumdar.

The book chronicles the life and career of Tendulkar in his own words, smashing the records in the publishing world.

Book has been acclaimed by former players and fans alike.

It also entered the Limca Book of Records for being the best selling adult hardback book across fiction and non fiction categories

The book was also a commercial success logging up INR 13.51 crore

Tendulkar is the most celebrated cricketer in the modern era