Ranchi: More than 54,000 students of govt schools across the state participated in a creative writing exercise on Monday as part of the reading campaign, ‘Mere Shabd, Meri Kahani’, launched by Jharkhand Education Project Council (JEPC).During the ‘100-word story creation’ activity, children wrote on the theme ‘My Favourite Book’. By presenting their thoughts on a favourite book in 100 words, students were encouraged to think independently, organise their ideas and write with confidence. The council said the exercise drew participation from 54,701 students, 2,354 teachers and 663 govt officials.The campaign, launched on Aug 15, will continue till Sept 18. Besides strengthening reading habits among primary school students, it aims to improve creativity, comprehension and written expression.JEPC state coordinator (quality) Avinav Kumar said the campaign was taking children beyond conventional reading exercises by encouraging them to create their own content.“Such activities help students engage with books in a more meaningful way. When children write about what they have read, they develop comprehension, imagination and communication skills simultaneously,” he said.Officials said participation had remained encouraging since the campaign’s launch, with thousands of schools taking part in daily activities. East Singhbhum, Dhanbad, Ranchi and Lohardaga recorded strong participation in recent events.Ranchi district education officer Wasim Ahmed said the larger goal was to foster a reading culture in schools. “The objective is to develop reading habits while improving fluency, comprehension, vocabulary and logical thinking,” he said.The next activity, ‘Hamari Kahani, Hamare Shabd’, will be held on Thursday. Students will write stories based on their experiences, imagination and cultural traditions.
