Reading habits, specially of books, is gradually coming down is the general perception. Text books, novels, newspapers, magazines are all available in the digital format. However, sundry efforts are being made to increase the reading habits of people.
On 29th April on this web site a news was posted which talked of country's first 'village of books' in Maharashtra. Here books are kept at different places around the village - any one can pick any book - read it and replace it so that someone else can read. The link to this is http://bharatmahan.in/positive-news/indias-first-village-books-903
Another effort is from the Ekal Vidyalayas who operate in some 55,000 villages across the country. They have started a programme where selected books are kept with the teacher, any villager can borrow this and after reading can replace with another book. Plans are to take this programme further.
Now comes the news of a 26 year girl who has started an initiative in which a book is left in the Metro to be picked up by some one. On every book a round sticker is placed on the cover of the book which instructs the “picker” to “take this book with you, read it and return it for someone else to enjoy”, and their social media handles.
Read more of this new initiative in a report by Somya Lakhani in The Indian Express...
Such initiatives can be started elsewhere too.
