The Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan has launched a 100-day reading campaign ‘Padhe Bharat’ on January 1, 2022.
According to a release issued by the education ministry, the campaign is an important step towards improving the learning capabilities of students. It will be developing creativity, critical thinking, vocabulary and the ability to express through writing and sharpen their verbal speaking skills.
A senior education ministry official said that children studying in Class VIII Balvatika will be participating in this 100-day campaign. The reading campaign will be organised for 100 days over 14 weeks commencing on January 1 till April 10, 2022. The campaign is expecting participation from all stakeholders at national and state level including children, teachers, parents, community, educational administrators etc.
The 100-day campaign will be held over 14 weeks and one activity per week for each group has been designed to aim to make reading enjoyable and build a lifelong habit of reading. A comprehensive guideline on the campaign with age-appropriate weekly calendar of activities has been designed and already shared with states and union territories.
According to the official, for making the campaign effective, the activities have been made simple, effective and enjoyable so that these can also be easily conducted with the material and resources conveniently available at home. Children can take help from parents, peers and siblings, in case the schools are closed.
In a statement issued on December 31, 2021, the Central Board of Secondary Education ( CBSE ) has invited schools to participate in the Padhe Bharat Campaign. The statement read: “Reading is an essential skill that prepares the child for making a better sense of the world around, and develops their socio-emotional abilities, cognitive and communication skills.”
The campaign will be imbibing reading, writing and communication skills in children with activities they will enjoy and learn from.