Lucknow, May 14 -- The Uttar Pradesh government has directed all government and aided schools across the state to strengthen reading habits among students during the 2026-27 academic session. According to the government, the initiative aims to shift students "from screens to pages" by promoting a stronger reading culture in educational institutions. In an order issued on May 13, additional chief secretary for secondary and basic education Partha Sarthi Sen Sharma instructed education officials across the state to ensure proper implementation of the "reading campaign" and "reading hours" programme in schools and libraries. The order was sent to joint education directors, deputy education directors, district inspectors of schools and district basic education officers across Uttar Pradesh. Schools have been directed to make newspapers regularly available to students and organise news reading sessions during morning assemblies. The government said discussions on important news articles would improve vocabulary, logical thinking, concentration, social awareness and preparation for competitive examinations. Schools and libraries have also been asked to organise interaction sessions with local writers, literary personalities and senior readers to motivate students.htc...