Youth in Northeastern States Read the Most: Survey


New Delhi: Only 25 percent of youths read books other than textbooks and the proportion of leisure readers is higher in urban India, says a study, which also found that the performance of northeastern states is much better in comparison.

The study published by National Book Trust in association with National Council of Applied Economic Research said Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram occupy the top slot with 67 percent leisure readers followed by Assam with 41 percent.

Comparing these states with Maharashtra, it said the figure in the western state was only 34 percent. The results were based on the National Youth Readership Survey -2009. In all, 38,575 people between 13-35 years were covered.

It said that 73 percent of the youth in Bihar, 45-47 percent in NE region, 34 percent in Maharashtra and 41 percent in the rest of the country are found to be fiction readers. In all, there were 42 percent fiction readers and 24 percent non-fiction readers in the country as a whole.

The results revealed that while northeastern states have 43 percent leisure readers, the central states in comparison have the largest block (85 percent) of non-readers.

“It is also noticed that the north-eastern region has the highest proportion of literate youth hailing from rural areas, while in the remaining parts of India, the concentration of literate youth is more towards urban,” the survey said.

Also Read: 10 Most Literate Indian States

Source: PTI