Amid concerns that screens have squeezed out print reading, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan have mandated newspaper reading in schools, while educators nationwide have launched a parallel movement to reverse the trend. Some surveys, though limited by small samples, pointto wide variation in newspaper reading habits among youth across regions anddemographics. A survey of 137 undergraduate and postgraduate students in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, found that just 4.4 per cent prioritised reading newspapers or magazines. A survey of 50 women in Hyderabad found that 48 per cent read newspapers daily and about a third, once a week. To counter the trend towards screen reading, educators advocate structured print reading, such as reading newspapers, arguing it can help train attention andfoster more effective reading strategies.

Source: The Telegraph January 12, 2026 01:55 UTC