Rajasthan mandates newspaper reading in government schools

The Rajasthan government has made daily newspaper reading mandatory in all government schools to encourage reading habits, build vocabulary and enhance general awareness among students.As per an order issued on December 31, students will spend at least 10 minutes reading newspapers during the morning assembly. The initiative is aimed at familiarising students with current affairs and strengthening their ability to comprehend and analyse news from an early age.
Under the directive issued by the state’s school education department, government senior secondary schools and English-medium schools have been instructed to subscribe to a minimum of two newspapers — one in Hindi and one in English. Government upper primary schools, meanwhile, must ensure access to at least two Hindi newspapers. The cost of newspaper subscriptions will be met by the Rajasthan School Education Council, Jaipur.Schools have also been directed to identify five new words from newspapers every day and explain their meanings to students to improve language skills. During morning assemblies, one national English daily and one Hindi daily will be read aloud.
In addition, students will be grouped class-wise and encouraged to read and discuss editorials along with major national, international and sports-related news developments.Officials said the programme is intended not only to boost general knowledge and social awareness but also to better equip students for competitive examinations. The move comes a week after the Uttar Pradesh government rolled out a similar mandate in government schools, making newspaper reading a compulsory activity.