Lucknow: Taking cue from the education department, the Uttar Pradesh Skill Development Mission has now made newspaper reading compulsory for trainees pursuing short-term skill programmes across the state. The move will benefit over 1 lakh students currently undergoing training in almost 800 skill centres in UP.As per the directives issued by the director, Uttar Pradesh Skill Development Mission director, Pulkit Khare, daily reading of newspapers will be included in the timetable. “Regular reading of newspapers will help enhance general knowledge among trainees, besides helping them prepare better for competitive exams. It will develop the trainees’ analytical skills, which will foster logical thinking,” Khare said.
Minister for vocational education, skill development and entrepreneurship Kapil Dev Agarwal said youths should not only be technically proficient but also possess an understanding of social, economic, and global scenarios. “The objective behind regular reading of newspapers is to enhance the employability of trainees, as well as to develop their self-confidence, communication skills, and analytical thinking,” said Agarwal.According to the new directives, classes in all batches operating under schemes including the State Skill Development Fund, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana, and Project Praveen will begin with newspaper reading. For this, Training Providers (TPs) and Project Implementation Agencies (PIAs) will be required to provide at least 1 Hindi and 1 English newspaper daily at their respective centres.UPSDM officials said studying editorials and articles will improve language style, vocabulary, and expression of ideas for the trainees. Analysing news will develop critical thinking among youth, making them more capable of decision-making. Meanwhile, puzzles, cultural articles, and inspirational stories will also develop human qualities such as concentration, patience, and sensitivity in students.For implementation, district coordinators, MIS managers, and other officers were asked to specifically review this activity during their monthly inspections and clearly mention it in their reports.
