National Reading Day

 

National Reading Day is celebrated to honour the father of the 'Library Movement in Kerala', the late PN Panicker, whose death anniversary is on June 19. Today the 26th National Reading Day is being celebrated, the following week is as Reading Week, and Reading Month will be celebrated from June 19 to July 18.  This year marks the silver jubilee year or the 25th edition of the celebrations.

In 1996, the day began as the movement to promote a culture of reading to inculcate the habit of reading and promote book-mindedness among school children, youth as well as the underprivileged population of the country, according to the foundation.

In June 2017, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Kerala and launched the 22nd national reading day and digital reading month celebrations. The Prime Minister gave a clarion call to promote the message of Vayichu Valaruka or read and grow to 300 million people across the country by 2022 when India will celebrate its 75th year of independence.

The PM directed the foundation to promote digital reading to propagate the use of digital technology in all educational tools of the country in 2017. Since past year, digital tools in education is the primary tool of schooling after the coronavirus pandemic hit the world.