Thiruvananthapuram: From now on, the habit of newspaper reading will help students to fetch valuable marks in Class 10 and Higher Secondary examinations in Kerala. 

"Half of the 20% marks given at present as part of continuous assessment will be given for excellence in reading newspapers and books," said General Education Minister V Sivankutty.

At present, 20 marks are granted in examinations with a maximum of 100 marks and 10 marks in those with a maximum of 50 marks for performance in co-curricular activities at the school level. It has been decided to grant 10 marks out of this for students’ aptitude for and excellence in reading newspapers and books. 

The General Education Department will notify the guidelines with regard to this decision soon, the Minister said while delivering the inaugural speech at the Reading Day function of the P N Panicker Foundation. (PN Panicker (1909–1995) is revered as the Father of the Library Movement in Kerala.)

Sivankutty said that the aim of introducing this was to inculcate social awareness among students and to encourage them to gain varied and extensive knowledge through the reading of newspapers and books.

Newspaper-reading contest
There is also an opportunity for students in government schools in the State to earn grace marks through newspaper reading. The grace marks will be awarded to winners of a competition in newspaper reading conducted by the General Education Department from the school to the State levels. The contest consists of reading three prominent newspapers in Malayalam within a time-frame and preparing a report.  

Those who win the first three places in the State will be granted 20, 17, and 14 marks, respectively, in the Secondary School Leaving Certificate and Higher Secondary examinations.