PRAYAGRAJ, Aug. 9 -- In an effort to revive children's interest in books and promote balanced use of technology, reading clubs have been set up in government schools across Pratapgarh district. District basic shiksha adhikari (BSA) Devvrat Singh said reading clubs have been established in all 2,364 government-run primary and upper primary schools in the district. The initiative has also been extended to 15 Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas, taking the total number of reading clubs to 2,379. The initiative aims to address the decline in children's reading habits caused by increasing dependence on mobile phones and television. As part of the programme, every school has introduced a separate library period in its timetable. Once a week, students spend 30 minutes reading stories and poems, choosing books according to their interests. They also discuss the books they have read through the reading clubs. "Reading clubs will provide children an opportunity to read books of their choice and discuss what they have read with their peers. This will help improve their language proficiency, expression and creative thinking," said BSA Devvrat Singh. The reading clubs are also being supported through the 'Drop Everything and Read' (DEAR) campaign. Under the initiative, students spend 20 minutes every day putting aside their routine activities to read non-textbook material such as children's literature, newspapers and magazines. Senior psychologist Dr Kamlesh Singh said the prolonged closure of schools during the Covid-19 pandemic and the shift to online learning had led to a sharp decline in children's reading habits. "The impact was also visible in their skills. Instead of developing the ability to understand what they read, a tendency towards rote learning increased," he said. He said reading clubs could help bridge this gap by encouraging children to read, discuss books, ask questions and speak before others. "Such activities improve their speaking and thinking abilities. They can also help the younger generation connect with their culture and values," he added....