A book can be a companion on a dull and boring journey or it could be a conversation starter, but it could never be a waste. For anyone who knows how to read, a book is not just pages of entertainment but also of knowledge and wisdom. National Reading Day, which is held on June 19 every year, is a day dedicated to Puthuvayil Narayana Panicker, a teacher who helped Kerala achieves universal literacy. The Kerala government, in acknowledgement of his contribution, decided to mark the day of his death as Reading Day, the following week, the National Reading week and the following month as the National Reading Month upto July 18th.
We have been told time and again that reading at least one chapter of a book a day will enhance our knowledge and vocabulary, and in India we are spoiled for choice. We have many good authors and there is no dearth of topics from which to choose from, and almost every street corner has a book store. This year is the 25th edition of National Reading Day, a day dedicated to Puthuvayil Narayana Panicker and his efforts to establish libraries in his home state. But that was not all, as he was also responsible for triggering a popular cultural movement in Kerala which produced universal literacy in the state in the 1990s.
His hard work won the GranthasalaSangham the prestigious ‘Krupsakaya Award’ from UNESCO in 1975. He then started the Kerala Association for Non-formal Education and Development (KANFED) in 1977 and it became instrumental in starting the Kerala State Literacy Mission. This led Kerala to its universal literacy movement, and then to it becoming the first state to achieve universal literacy.
After Puthuvayil Narayana Panicker passed away on June 19, 1995, the Kerala government, in acknowledgement of his contribution to the state’s high literacy achievement, ordered that June 19 be observed annually as National Reading Day.
Shakthi Residential School conducted a virtual quiz competition E-Library Quest -2020 on Friday 17th July 2020 for the students of Grade 6-9 to mark the 25th National Reading Month. The winners are as follows-
Grade 9
First – RakshanNaik
Second – Siddhanth J Achar&Darshan AN
Third –SanchayNaik and MarkSaji Sebastian
Grade -8
First – JishmithaHegde
Second -SaloniSubhash T
Third – Sarvesh andRishiqMohiuddin
Grade -7
First -Mohammad Nahshal Abbas
Second -Thanish K Bandary
Third – Yuvaraj Deep AN&SiddharthSaidu
Grade -6
First – Parag S Salian
Second – Apeksha Kamath G
Third – ChinmayiP Karkera
Ms. Deepthi and Ms. Dhanalaxmi were the co-ordinators.
The Principal and the staff congratulated the winners and appreciated the participation of all students
