Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh), Feb 15 (IANS) Around 10 artisans from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s parliamentary constituency, Varanasi, will virtually exhibit their exclusive crafts in the ‘India Toy Fair-2021’, which is going to be held from February 27 to March 2 on a virtual platform.
The Geographical Indication (GI) tagged wooden toys of Varanasi, toys made of terracotta from Gorakhpur and jute toys of Ghazipur will also be the part of this toy fair.
“Varieties of toys from all across the country including 19 GI-tagged toys will be displayed in the fair,” the GI expert Dr Rajni Kant, who was also a part of the panel for finalization of the exhibits.
This initiative is in line with the Prime Minister’s vision of making India a global hub for the toy industry.
“Varanasi and adjoining districts have a huge potential for development of toy clusters in Uttar Pradesh because four different kinds of toys from this region have already received GI certification, while many others made from glass, clay and wooden carved puzzles also have potential,” he said.
The participation of Indian toy makers in the fair aims to provide an impetus to the underlying themes of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ and ‘vocal for local’ campaigns, launched by the government to promote indigenous industries.
It also aims to leverage the potential of toys in making learning joyful for all age groups.
According to the government’s statement, the toy fair intends to bring policy makers, toy manufacturers and distributors, investors, industry experts, MSMEs, artisans, start-ups, children, parents and teachers together on a common platform, in a bid to propel the growth of the Indian toy industry, giving it a global competitive edge.
The main attractions of the fair include a virtual exhibition with over 1,000 virtual stalls, webinars by state governments, knowledge sessions with engaging panel discussions/webinars on diverse topics by experts on areas including toy-based learning, craft demonstrations, competitions, quizzes, virtual tours, product launches.
For the education sector, in particular, the knowledge sessions involving various experts will focus on areas such as play-based and activity-based learning, indoor and outdoor play, use of puzzles and games to promote critical thinking and overall, on how to make learning more engaging and enjoyable.
–IANS
amita/in