Jharkhand Read-a-thon recognised by Asia Book of Records

Jharkhand’s statewide Read-a-thon on 8 September 2026 involved 2,885,734 people across all 24 districts. The Asia Book of Records recognised the participation as a record for the largest number of people taking part in Read-a-thons held at multiple locations. The event was organised under the 2026 reading campaign themed “Mere Shabd, Meri Kahani” (My Words, My Story). Participants included children, teachers, families, community members, government officials and education workers. From 11 am to 11:30 am, people read books together in schools, homes, communities and public places. The activity followed a “Drop Everything and Read” format.

Notable Points

• Sustained silent reading research: Educational researcher Stephen Krashen reported that 51 of 54 studies he reviewed found students in sustained silent reading programmes performed as well as or better than other students in reading comprehension.