Overview

• On June 23, the Directorate of Elementary Education issued a formal notification followed by detailed guidelines the next day, making daily news reading mandatory in all government school morning assemblies.
• Under the directive, students rotate reading 3–5 minute summaries of age-appropriate items drawn from both English and Hindi newspapers.
• Teachers are tasked with selecting relevant news, supervising readings and ensuring accuracy while avoiding sensational or inappropriate content.
• Schools must ensure regular access to English and Hindi newspapers and libraries are encouraged to support the initiative.
• The measure is part of a broader push to boost general awareness, communication skills and critical thinking after the state’s education ranking fell from eighth to eighteenth nationally.