Pune: Over five lakh people are expected to attend the Pune Book Festival from December 16 to 24 on Fergusson College grounds. The book festival, organised by National Book Trust, will have over 200 stalls dedicated to books from regional languages and English. The trusts chairman Milind Marathe said that new writers and students performances will be encouraged during the event which will also see an array of activities such as cultural performances, literary sessions, and programmes for children. We want people to have a wide variety of choices in books from different languages. Hence, we are encouraging publishers from different regions to participate. We give out stalls at Rs 15,000, but for stalls that have books in regional languages, we are planning to rent them for Rs 7,500 for all nine days. The focus will also be on students participation both as book readers and participants. There will be cultural events and for groups that want to participate, a screening process will be held to select the best, Marathe added.Such festivals have been held in Gomti, Ladakh, Ujjain, Shimla and Shillong. The organisers said that there will be books for all ages and genres. Sharad Kunte, chairman of Deccan Education Society, said even if there are various other mediums and e-books, there will always be a demand for physical books. We try to inculcate reading habits in students during class but there is a limit to what we can do as we need to complete the syllabus. Such events will be of great help to improve the reading habit in students. This should be a yearly event in Pune.We also published the following articles recentlyPop culture inspires group bookings at various restaurants for Thanksgiving feasts this weekendInspired by their favorite American TV shows and movies, Pune residents are searching for the perfect Thanksgiving dinner. There is a high demand for the festive spread, with many wanting to experience the holiday through food. Restaurants in the city are offering elaborate Thanksgiving buffets, and the demand for such menus has increased over the years. The Westin Pune imports Butterball turkeys from the US and prepares them in a controlled environment. The menus feature side dishes made with autumn ingredients like butternut squash, pumpkin, cranberry, peaches, and figs.Bengaluru: Principal booked for sexually harassing PU student in his chamberA 40-year-old principal of a city PU college has been booked for sexually harassing a 16-year-old student in his chamber. The girls mother filed a complaint and the principal was charged under IPC section 354A and Pocso Act. Police issued notices to both parties and collected CCTV footage from near the principals chamber. The girl was sent for a medical test at KC General hospital.Actor booked for derogatory remarksA day after the NCW recommended action against actor Mansoor Ali Khan for his derogatory remarks against actor Trisha Krishnan, police slapped a sexual harassment case on him. Khan was booked under sections 354-A and 509 of IPC. A video clip of his derogatory remarks on Trisha sparked outrage on social media. Trisha condemned Khan, and Telugu star Chiranjeevi criticized him for his comments.

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