The Uttar Pradesh government has directed all secondary and basic primary schools across the state to make daily newspaper reading a compulsory activity, aiming to strengthen reading habits and curb excessive screen exposure among students.
According to guidelines issued on December 23 by Additional Chief Secretary (Secondary and Basic Primary Education) Parth Sarathi Sen Sharma, schools must allocate at least 10 minutes during morning assemblies for newspaper reading. During this period, students will read editorials and key developments from national, international and sports news on a rotational basis. The order also mandates the availability of both Hindi and English newspapers in school libraries.
As part of the initiative, schools have been asked to introduce a “word of the day” exercise, selecting five challenging words from newspapers to be displayed on notice boards to improve vocabulary. Officials believe the move will enhance general awareness, critical thinking, concentration and media literacy, while also helping students identify misinformation.
The guidelines further encourage activities such as school-run newspapers or magazines, editorial discussions for Classes 9 to 12, and puzzles like crosswords and Sudoku. The directive builds on a November 2 reading campaign that promoted library access, weekly non-syllabus reading and incentives for regular readers.
