Thiruvananthapuram: To help children reduce excessive screen time and social media dependency, the Library Council has announced a month-long reading camp across libraries in Kerala. Under the slogan "Let's Learn Malayalam and Welcome Reading," the initiative aims to encourage children to develop a habit of reading while improving their Malayalam skills. Parents will also be made aware of the importance of these camps and encouraged to send their children.

The council emphasizes that some children in Kerala struggle with even reading and writing Malayalam, making this initiative highly relevant. To address this, such camps will also be introduced in libraries that do not have a dedicated children's section. Scheduled for 10 days in April and 20 days in May, the sessions will run from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Language teachers will be brought in to make the learning process engaging and effective.

Parents will also be included in the organising committee to ensure active participation. Children attending the camp will be provided with snacks. Each day, at least 25 children will take part in the sessions.

In addition, the existing financial assistance for Balavedi to conduct activities has been increased from ₹3,000 to ₹5,000, offering better support for these initiatives.