The Assam government has launched an ambitious campaign declaring 2025 as the “Year of Reading,” aimed at reviving a reading culture across the state. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma outlined a package of incentives to promote literacy and literary engagement among youth, rural communities, and government employees.

Key initiatives include:

• Rs 25,000 grants awarded to 1,000 aspiring young writers to spur fresh literary output and regional content creation.

• District-level book fairs backed by state funding: Rs 5 lakh per district headquarters and Rs 2.5 lakh for co-district towns to support local publishing and sales.

• Rs 1,000 book grant for every government employee to encourage personal reading habits and lifelong learning.

The campaign will also feature a range of literary programmes—book marathons, reading festivals in schools, colleges, and public spaces—to engage readers and authors across Assam. Educational experts have welcomed the initiative, noting its potential to inspire critical thinking and counter digital distractions. A senior academic from Gauhati University said: “Reading is foundational to critical thinking, and such a campaign could inspire a generational shift”.

With this boldly envisioned literary push, Assam aims to solidify its literary heritage and make reading an integral part of daily life statewide.