Rajasthan mandates newspaper reading in government schools
Jaipur (PTI): The Rajasthan government has made daily newspaper reading compulsory in all government schools in an effort to promote reading habits, improve vocabulary and enhance general awareness among students.
According to a December 31 order, students will be required to read newspapers for at least 10 minutes during the morning assembly. The initiative aims to familiarise students with current affairs and develop their ability to understand and analyse news at an early stage.
The directive from the state's school education department instructs government senior secondary schools and English-medium schools to subscribe to a minimum of two newspapers — one Hindi and one English — while government upper primary schools must ensure the availability of at least two Hindi newspapers.
The expenditure towards newspaper subscriptions will be borne by the Rajasthan School Education Council, Jaipur.
Schools have also been asked to identify five new words from the newspapers each day and explain their meanings to students to strengthen language skills. During morning assemblies, one national-level newspaper in English and one in Hindi will be read aloud.
The order further states that students should be divided class-wise and encouraged to read and discuss editorials and major national, international and sporting developments.
Officials said the programme is designed not only to improve students' general knowledge and social awareness but also to prepare them better for competitive examinations.
The move comes a week after the Uttar Pradesh government introduced a similar directive in government schools, making newspaper reading a mandatory activity.
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Experience comes when you play bigger teams in bilateral series: Rashid Khan
Chennai (PTI): Afghanistan skipper Rashid Khan called for more bilateral series against stronger cricketing nations after his team signed off from the T20 World Cup on a high, defeating Canada in their final group match here on Thursday.
Afghanistan played some exhilarating cricket, going down to South Africa in a gripping second Super Over after the scores were tied, a humdinger that provided one of the early thrills of the World Cup.
However, the spin-bowling stalwart said Afghanistan could make significant strides if they get regular opportunities to compete against stronger cricketing nations.
"Couple of areas to improve, with the batting, the middle order got a bit stuck against the big teams, and then with the bowling the death overs. That comes when you play the bigger teams in bilateral series," said Rashid after his team defeat Canada by 82 runs, with him returning excellent figures of 2 for 19.
The stalwart said the side had arrived well prepared for the tournament and produced some breathtaking cricket, but admitted the narrow defeat to South Africa proved costly and remained a painful setback.
"We were well-prepared (for the tournament), we played some unbelievable cricket. The game against South Africa, that really hurt everyone. We had to win one of those (first two) games and see how the tournament unfolded. We'll take some positive things from this World Cup and look forward," he said.
With head coach Jonathan Trott set to part ways with the team, Rashid described the departure as an "emotional" moment for the side.
"I think we had some wonderful times with him. Where we are now, he played a main role. It's emotional to see him leave us, but that's how life is. We wish him all the best and somewhere down the line we see him again."
Ibrahim Zadran, who was named Player of the Match for his unbeaten 95 off 56 balls, said it was satisfying to finally register a substantial score after two below-par outings.
"I enjoyed it, didn't play better cricket in first two innings, which I expect. Wanted to back my skills, really enjoyed it. Pressure was there, it's there all the time. I want to put myself in pressure situations and enjoy it," said Zadran.
"Wanted to play positive cricket, rotate strike and punish bad ball, create partnerships and this is what I have done."
