New Initiative to Strengthen Language Skills, Logical Thinking and Scientific Temperament among Students
Lucknow: In a significant step toward the all-round development of students, Pooja Yadav, Secretary, Uttar Pradesh Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board, has issued directions to promote a culture of regular newspaper reading in schools. A formal communication has been sent to the Department of Sociology, Lucknow University, instructing the immediate implementation of newspaper reading activities as part of the daily routine in all Vihan Residential Schools.
The Secretary emphasized that alongside curriculum-based education, it is essential to strengthen students’ general knowledge, language proficiency, logical reasoning and critical thinking abilities. To achieve this objective, students will be encouraged to regularly read reputed Hindi and English newspapers. She further informed that similar guidelines were earlier issued by the Basic and Secondary Education Department, Government of Uttar Pradesh, on December 23, 2025.
As per the instructions, every school library will ensure the regular availability of quality Hindi and English newspapers. Students will be motivated to read articles related to science, economy, new developments, sports and current affairs. A 10-minute newspaper reading session will be scheduled daily after the morning assembly and before the start of classes. Additionally, five new difficult words along with their meanings will be displayed on the board every day, and a “Thought of the Day” will be mandatorily written on the main display board.
For students of Classes VI to VIII, weekly activities such as original writing or group discussions based on editorial articles will be organized. Junior students will prepare news clipping scrapbooks focusing on science, environment and sports. To further enhance mental and logical abilities, competitions based on Sudoku, crosswords and knowledge-based quizzes published in newspapers will also be conducted periodically.
Secretary Pooja Yadav stated that students will also be encouraged to publish a quarterly school newspaper or magazine, inspired by newspaper formats and presentation styles. This publication will be edited by a student team and will feature school activities and achievements presented in a news format. To foster scientific curiosity, small group discussions on scientific facts and processes will also be organized.
She noted that this initiative will not only help students prepare for competitive examinations but will also play a crucial role in shaping them into responsible, aware and thoughtful citizens.
At present, 24 Vihan Residential Schools are operational across 12 districts, with one school each for boys and girls in every district. Each school has a capacity of 100 students, with classes running from Class VI to VIII. These schools follow the State Board curriculum in Hindi medium, reaffirming their functional status and commitment to quality education.
