Nagpur: The Union Minister Nitin Gadkari will release a volume detailing the first World Agricultural Fair held in independent India during the year 1959- 60 to mark 60-years of that event on Sunday, April 18.
The expo was organised following initiative taken by Dr Panjabrao Deshmukh, first Agriculture Minister of the country, and the book brought out by Shivaji Shikshan Sanstha, Amravati, depicts in details how the expo was organised and other important information. Gadkari will release the book at 11 am at his residence in presence of Harshawardhan Deshmukh, President, Shivaji Shikshan Sanstha and Dr Sudhir Bhongle, Writer of the Book, and other office bearers of society.
The first agricultural exhibition was held in New Delhi form December 11, 1959, to February 27, 1960. The expo was held on Mathura Road and spread over 100 acres and was on for 82-days. The book was brought on occasion of death anniversary of Dr Deshmukh on April 10 and it has 432 pages and contains colour pictures on art paper.
The then US President Dwight Eisenhower had come to India for inauguration of the fair in presence of President Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, Prime Minister Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru and Dr Deshmukh. Nearly 2 crores people had visited the World Agriculture Fair that later laid the foundation for Green Revolution in the country. Nikita Khrushchev, Chairman, Council of Ministers, USSR, was guest at the conclusion of the fair. The book contains speeches of the invitees, pictures of pavilions of various countries along with details.
