Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan today expressed concern over declining reading habits among youth, saying that a society which stops reading gradually loses its ability to think critically.

Releasing a book named The Library Man of India: The Story of P.N. Panicker at Uprashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi, the Vice President highlighted the country’s glorious tradition of centres of learning such as Nalanda and Takshashila, which attracted scholars from around the world.

Recalling the role played by Mr Panicker in initiating Kerala’s library and literacy movement, the Vice President said, Mr Panicker believed that knowledge should never remain the privilege of a few, but must serve humanity universally and become a force for social awakening.

The Vice President also appreciated several initiatives of the Government aimed at strengthening the country’s knowledge ecosystem. Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision shared during Mann Ki Baat, he said libraries should evolve into dynamic hubs of creativity.