Rajasthan Mandates Newspaper Reading in Government Schools

New Delhi. The Rajasthan government has made newspaper reading mandatory in government schools, introducing a daily practice aimed at improving language skills and general awareness among students.

Under the directive, students will be required to read newspapers for at least 10 minutes during morning assembly. The cost of newspaper subscriptions will be borne by the state government, officials said.

Schools have also been instructed to identify five new words from the daily newspaper and explain their meanings to students as part of classroom engagement. The measure is intended to strengthen vocabulary, reading comprehension, and familiarity with current affairs.

Education department officials said the initiative forms part of a broader effort to reinforce foundational literacy and encourage reading habits among schoolchildren, particularly in an era of declining engagement with print media.

The order applies across government-run schools in the state and is expected to be implemented immediately. Administrators have been asked to ensure regular monitoring of compliance at the school level.

The policy underscores a renewed emphasis on low-cost, classroom-based interventions to support language development and cognitive skills, especially in rural and semi-urban schools.