Children's Book Trust was founded by Shankar in 1957. It came to be housed in Nehru House, inaugurated by the President of India Dr. S. Radhakrishnan on November 30, 1965. Pioneer publishers of children's books in India, Children's Book Trust has set for itself an ambitious target to promote the production of well written, well illustrated and well designed books for children. In furtherance of this objective, the Trust brings out books that are easy to read and easy on the eyes, including books that enable children to have a better appreciation of India's cultural heritage.
CBT is now in the 60th year of its establishment. These golden years have seen a marked progression not only in terms of creative ideas, themes and factual accounts, but in their presentation, production and visual interpretations as well. From playful animal fantasies that were published as Panchatantra tales or the retold folktales that even today make perennial favorites, CBT gradually steered its energies towards reality issues like teenage problems, scientific and technological advances, school and sports dilemmas, contributions of eminent men and women in India's progress, the changing mindset of ordinary people and the evolution of their thought. The change came about with the launch of the Competition for Writers of Children's Books in 1978. The subjects were diversified to make a much wider spectrum. This now comprises General Fiction, Science Fiction, Indian History/Heritage, Natural History, Travelogue, Non-Fiction/Information, Popular Science, Great Institutions, Short Stories/Humor Stories, Short Plays/Dramas, and Read-Aloud Books/Picture Books. These are published not only in English and Hindi, as was the case earlier, but in various Indian languages to a certain extent.
The efforts made in newer genres, it is hoped, will generate a deeper spirit of enquiry in young minds and a healthy, progressive outlook to life and living. CBT publications on science, information, biographies under the 'Remembering Our Leaders' series, have attracted good attention, many of the titles being reprinted over and over again. CBT books have been included under schemes for Adult Education and Science Improvement. Select titles were printed under the 'Operation Blackboard' in many languages to supply the needs of the State Governments. Conscientious attention has been bestowed on achieving quality and production excellence. The publications also include an exhaustive and authoritative book on 'Children's Literature in India' for documentation and referencing. The Trust has to its credit today about 1000 titles.
The prices of the books are kept down to the minimum possible, in fact subsidized, in an effort to bring them within the reach of the average Indian child, which was Shankar's basic idea. In such ways, therefore, CBT has steadily built for its readers a vast storehouse of literature which, if followed systematically and chronologically, reveals the pace of development of children's literature from the time when there was nothing for children to call their own, to the present times which are altogether competitive and challenging. "If only the best is good enough for children," CBT shall continue to strive to achieve even greater heights to match India's current status as 'an aspiring and happening nation'.
