On the occasion of Bharat Ratna Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam's birth anniversary, Reading Inspiration Day should not be limited to a single day, Marathi Language Minister Dr. Uday Samant said. The day should inspire reading across all 365 days of the year. He asked every officer and employee at Mantralaya to resolve to read at least one book before the next Reading Inspiration Day.
He was speaking at the Reading Inspiration Day programme organised by the Marathi Language Department at the Trimurti premises in Mantralaya. A garland was placed on Kalam's portrait as a tribute. The minister visited the book exhibition and sales stalls set up by the Marathi Language Department.
Marathi language, literature and reading culture will reach students
After Marathi received the status of a classical language, the Marathi Language Department launched a special initiative. It aims to take the language's rich tradition, cultural heritage, literary contribution and reading culture to students. The initiative explains the importance of Marathi and its classical heritage to students in state universities, and it has received a good response. Dr. Samant said it reached around one million students in just 10 days, setting a new record.
Expressing concern over declining reading habits, he said observing Reading Inspiration Day alone would not achieve the goal. Reading must instead become part of daily life.
Pride in Marathi should show in everyday conversation
Around 1.67 lakh people have been trained in Marathi under the department's language teaching programme. Dr. Samant hoped that if Marathi speakers made a habit of speaking Marathi in their daily dealings, people from other language backgrounds would not need separate training to learn it.
Recalling the experience of an autorickshaw driver in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, he said the driver, who had come to Maharashtra for work and took pride in Marathi, initially felt the need to learn it. Had Marathi passengers spoken to him in Marathi, he would have picked up the language easily. He urged everyone to begin by using more Marathi in their own daily lives.
Education in the mother tongue must get priority
Recalling his meeting with Bharat Ratna Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Dr. Samant stressed the importance of mother-tongue education. The foundation of love for language and of mother-tongue learning must be laid in childhood, he said. Kalam's view was that the mother tongue should be used effectively from primary education up to higher education.
When he was Minister for Higher and Technical Education, efforts were made to offer technical education in Marathi. He said it is a matter of pride that Maharashtra offers B.Tech and M.Tech courses in Marathi.
Reading habits matter not only for personal growth but also for the intellectual development of society. Dr. Samant urged every officer and employee to resolve to read at least one book in the coming year and to contribute actively to spreading a reading culture.
Among those present were Dr. K.H. Govindraj, Additional Chief Secretary, Urban Development Department, Dr. Kiran Kulkarni, Secretary of the Marathi Language Department, Dr. Namdev Bhosale, Deputy Secretary, and Arun Gite, Director of the Directorate of Languages.
Dr. Kiran Kulkarni, Secretary of the Marathi Language Department, explained the thinking behind the book exhibition. Dr. Kulkarni said the main aim was to increase the contact between Mantralaya officers and employees and books, to encourage them to buy books, and to promote actual reading.
The book exhibition and sales centres organised by the Marathi Language Department will remain open at the Trimurti premises in Mantralaya on October 15 and 16, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The department has appealed to officers, employees and visitors to visit the exhibition and buy books to encourage a reading culture.