HOT TOPIC
Instill reading habits
Igniting minds: Today's youth need to inculcate the habit of reading books to gain knowledge.
Reading habit is the best among all soft skills as it is a source of creative power. But the present education system is structured such that students are studying only academic books and not other books or magazines. Parents should encourage students to study different books concerning national, social, cultural and political issues. Colleges should frequently organise seminars and debates on relevant issues.
Ram Reddy
In my opinion, it is the responsibility of the parents to learn the habit of reading books to the children. If one of the family members reads good books, then the children are inspired. Presenting good books to them and encouraging them to read will enhance their reading skills and they make it a habit.
Nowadays although every college has a library, it is unfortunate to say that most of these libraries are busy only during exams. In any class, not even half of the students use libraries effectively. It helps students improve their technical knowledge and communication skills. Every village should have its own public library so that not just students, but also farmers, job holders and housewives can use it during their free time. It is sad to say that every village has a wine shop but not a library. Books are good friends. Biographies of great persons scientific fictions and novels make a person to improve their thinking ability, analytical skills and moral values.
M.Supriya
ECE, M.V.S.R. Engg. College
In the olden days, students used to study academics as well as general awareness issues through news papers, magazines, general books with the supporting factors they had like less competition, teachers guidance, freedom of study etc.,
In this competitive world, students will work hard to get on in their career at the best by facing tuff competitive and accordingly their studies as result no time for general awareness, to read other books.
Awareness to the students has to come from parents as well as teachers who need to make them aware of historical facts of the country, current issues, social issues, international issues, development in science and technology.
This makes the students to go through the general books, magazines, news papers with keen interest to know what it is then what happens next?
As second step, in the classes teachers have to host group discussions, essay and elocution competitions on general, current issues. This makes entire strength of class to be more attentive and attractive to read general books, news papers, magazines etc.
M. Manjunath,
M.Tech, National Institute of Technology, Warangal
Basic flaw in reading or knowing things is ‘Environment for reading', which is created by libraries, but in India we lack basic facilities in public libraries (which is highlighted by National Knowledge Commission). Throughout 60 years of independence, government concentrated on providing better education but not on providing better environment for reading.
Although this in a way is facilitated by educational institutes, they are only part of learning process. The habit of reading should start from the root among all students. Parents should take interest in visiting libraries with their children rather than spending more time in entertainment activities. They have to inculcate interest among children every time by answering their basic questions on things and tune them to seek more information. Home is the first institute in which a student is admitted.
Colleges should move away from conducting exams based on textbooks. Colleges should also conduct innovative competitions (like making creative instruments etc.) among students to inculcate reading habit among students. Reading in colleges should be joyful but not based on compulsions of exams.
This can be possible when students have accessibility to different kinds of books and also proper ambiance for reading (which is provided by public libraries). If public libraries are rejuvenated and renovated again with state of art facilities (at least in Metros) then we can expect some increasing interest and reading trend among students.
Ashok. N
Hyderabad
Students nowadays are stressed over their academics. It is very unfortunate to hear from them that they don't have a habit of reading news papers or magazines. Parents should sit with their children at least once in three or four days and instruct them to read books unrelated to academics. College managements should provide a separate period for the students to go library and read some novels. This would not only help the students to improve their soft skills but it would also improve a student's vocabulary.
Sneha Bollepalli,
Class 10, Loyola Public Schools
Nowadays a general library with full of books related to autobiographies, personality development, history etc has become a utopian model. Persons, especially students lack in-depth reading skills.
In history behind every successful personality there was common habit of book-reading. Books don't teach you any thing but help you find out your interests, talents, skills etc.
A book is nothing but the lifetime experience of a great soul. Government should establish plethora of libraries all over to make people aware of the world. Colleges must develop reading habit in their pupil. NGOs can distribute various books among people at free of cost.
Navatejkumar.P,
3-CSIT, G.P.R. Engg.college, Kurnool
Students of this generation addicted themselves to what they call as 'one day study before exams'. They think it is a pain to even to touch their text books. College managements can keep current affairs as a subject for the students in their academics so that it will keep them abreast of latest news and events and also enhance their reading skills.
Soft skills which form the most important aspect in a student's curriculum can be improved only if students evince their interest towards reading.
They need to make it a habit of reading novels and different magazines without which they will inevitably find it difficult to handle events like group discussions and other situations in job.
B. Karthik
3/4 EEE, GITAM, Visakhapatnam
The reasons for this problem are faulty education system with tightly-packed semester schedules. It is a direct consequence of specialisation of studies rather generalization. There is also an illusion among the parents and students that ‘Technical/Professional education is superior over Arts groups' and that reading general information things won't fetch them anything.
They fail to realise that reading habit imparts ethical values in us and ensures sustainable growth of a person. Parents should not impose any curbs on children involving in extra-curricular activities which include reading books. Instead, they have to initiate their children to develop reading habit, by explaining the essence and advantages. Colleges should maintain a special wing of general books in college libraries and encourage pupils to study the books, magazines and newspapers by conducting the debates, seminars on issues relating to general awareness, to motivate them. There should be a dedicated period in the daily time table, to attend the students in library. In the modern era of IT revolution, there is a need to digitization of the age-old traditional libraries to attract the people.
B.K. Chandra Sekhar,
Kuppam
Gone are the days when people used to give their attendance at libraries. Parents have to inculcate the habit of reading in their children's minds right from their childhood by setting out to book shopping twice a week. Circulating weekly articles to students' in the campus would be pretty feasible. Organising book exhibitions, conducting workshops based on excerpts from various magazines infuses desire for reading in the minds. Recession is the right time to hone our skills by reading numerous books. Students should keep abreast of the current affairs as it is our great nation that depends on today's citizens.
Dinesh Reddy Sarasani
Vignan Institute of Technology and Science,
Deshmukhi, Nalgonda
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