UP Government to Make Daily Newspaper Reading Mandatory in Schools to Boost Students’

The Uttar Pradesh government has made daily newspaper reading mandatory for students in all secondary and basic primary schools to promote a reading culture and reduce screen time. The order, issued by Additional Chief Secretary Parthasarathi Sen Sharma, includes daily newspaper reading, vocabulary building, library use, and class-appropriate assignments. The aim is to improve students' confidence, pronunciation, general knowledge, critical thinking skills, language abilities, and their ability to identify fake news.

UP Government to Make Daily Newspaper Reading

Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government has issued guidelines directing all secondary and basic primary schools across the state to make daily newspaper reading mandatory for students. They have also provided students with access to government district libraries and made it compulsory for them to borrow at least one non-syllabus book every week. The order, issued by Additional Chief Secretary Parthasarathi Sen Sharma, aims to strengthen the reading culture among students and reduce excessive screen time. 

An order issued on December 23, 2025, by Additional Chief Secretary (Secondary and Basic Primary Education) Parthasarathi Sen Sharma outlines a plan that includes making both Hindi and English newspapers available in school libraries. It states that "at least 10 minutes should be dedicated daily to newspaper reading during the morning assembly. During this time, students will take turns reading editorials and the main headlines of national, international, and sports news." The plan also introduces a 'Word of the Day' activity, where five difficult words will be selected from the newspapers and displayed on the notice board to improve vocabulary.

The order states that every morning, during the school assembly, students will read prominent news reports to improve their confidence, pronunciation, and general knowledge. Officials believe this will also enhance students' critical thinking and language skills, help them identify fake news, and provide them with knowledge relevant to competitive examinations.

Students in grades 9 to 12 will write editorial essays and participate in debates on social issues every week, while students in grades 6 to 8 will create scrapbooks using news clippings on topics such as science and the environment.

Schools are also encouraged to publish their own newspapers and organize competitions such as crosswords and Sudoku to improve logical thinking.