The P N Panicker Foundation and P N Panicker Vigyan Vikas Kendra have been observing the Reading Day, Reading Week, and Reading Month Celebrations since 19th June, 1996, the first annual remembrance day of Shri P N Panicker, the father of Library and Literacy Movement in Kerala.

Started as a Reading Day Celebration on 19th June, 1996, by the Govt. of Kerala along with P.N. Panicker Foundation it has become a mass movement to promote the culture of reading so as to inculcate the habit of reading and promote book mindedness among school children, youth as well as the underprivileged population of the country.

The Government of Kerala and the Government of India through NITI Aayog has entrusted the responsibility of observing National Reading/ Digital Reading Month Celebrations to P N Panicker Foundation and P N Panicker Vigyan Vikas Kendra.

Shri Narendra Modi, Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, came down to Kerala and launched the 22nd National Reading/ Digital Reading Month Celebrations on 19th June, 2017 at Kochi. The Prime Minister gave a clarion call to propagate the message of Vayichu Valaruka (Read and Grow) to 300 million Indian citizens by 2022 when the country celebrate its 75th year of independence. The Prime Minister directed P.N. Panicker Foundation to promote digital reading also so as to use digital technology in all educational institutions of the country.

The Government of Kerala and the Government of India through NITI Aayog has entrusted the responsibility of observing National Reading/ Digital Reading Month Celebrations to P N Panicker Foundation and P N Panicker Vigyan Vikas Kendra.

The 28th P N Panicker National Reading Day/ Digital Reading Month Celebrations 2023 are being celebrated as previous years in collaboration with Govt. of India, Ministry of Education, NITI Aayog, National Digitial Library of India (NDLI), Govt. of Kerala, P.N. Panicker Foundation, P.N. Panicker Vigyan Vikas Kendra and various other stakeholders from 19th June to 18th July, 2023.

This year we are decentralizing and encouraging the educational institutions (schools, colleges, ITIs, polytechnics, etc.) to perform reading/ learning oriented activities at their institution level. The institutes can choose any one or a combination of activities or any other innovative reading/ learning oriented activities to perform during this year’s reading month celebrations.