Ranchi, Feb. 13: At other times, the sight of so many books would have been daunting. But today, the mood was one of excitement.

Aspiring medicos of the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) found themselves lost in a sea of tomes at the two-day medical book fair that began on their premises today.

More than 1,000 medical books based on latest research work are on display at the fair, meant exclusively for RIMS students, doctors, teaching and non-teaching staff. The prices are also cheaper than the market rates. The kiosks are offering a discount of 30 per cent.

Director of RIMS N.N. Aggarwal, who inaugurated the fair, said: “This is the second time that we are hosting a medical book fair on our premises. We had organised a similar event in 2007.”

“Our main aim is to provide an opportunity to the medical students, teaching staff and paramedics to procure books. We have found out that a lot of students face difficulty in studying due to non-availability of books in the market,” Aggarwal said.

The participating publishers include Elesivier, Orient Longman, Central Book, Jaypee, Ahuja and B.I. Publication.

A final-year student, Reena, said: “We face difficulty in getting these books in the library or even in the market. This fair has given us an opportunity to lay hands on a number of research books that are quite beneficial at the post-graduate level and also for higher studies,” she said.