Nayara Energy, in collaboration with the Pali District Administration and Pratham Books, launches the ‘Pali is Reading’ initiative to promote foundational literacy

Jaipur, 7^th July, 2026: Nayara Energy, an integrated downstream energy and petrochemicals company, in association with the Pali District Administration and Pratham Books, a not-for-profit children’s book publisher, has launched ‘Pali is Reading’, a district-wide Reading Promotion initiative aimed at strengthening foundational literacy among nearly 20,000 children. The initiative was formally launched at District Council Auditorium Inside Collectorate Complex, Pali, Rajasthan. This was done in collaboration with ICDS and SSA, and was graced by Shri Mahendra Mehta, Additional Chief Executive Officer (ACEO), Pali, Shri Prakash Chandra, Deputy Director, ICDS, Pali, Shri Rahul Rajpurohit – Chief District Education Officer (CDEO), Pali, Shri Praveen Charan Kumar, Additional District Program Coordinator (ADPC), Pali, Shri Dilip Karmchandani – Chief Block Education Officer (CBEO), Pali, Smt. Surbhi Chauhan, Chief Development Project Officer (CDPO), Pali.

The year-long programme aims to strengthen reading skills among children by encouraging the activity as a regular and enjoyable part of school and anganwadi learning. It supports this through access to interesting and fully illustrated books in Hindi and English, in classrooms and anganwadi libraries. It employs simple story-based teaching methods led by trained teachers and anganwadi workers, covering 276 government schools and 362 anganwadi centres across Pali district, helping children build vocabulary, comprehension, and confidence from an early age.

Commenting on the initiative, Prasad Panicker, Executive Chairman, Nayara Energy, said, “Foundational literacy is not built through access alone, it is built when children encounter books regularly, in ways that spark curiosity and enjoyment. Through ‘Pali is Reading’, we are supporting a structured approach that places books in classrooms and anganwadis, equips educators with practical tools, and encourages reading as a daily habit. This initiative reflects Nayara Energy’s focus on improving the quality of education, particularly in rural communities, through sustained and meaningful interventions.”

Himanshu Giri, CEO, Pratham Books, said, “We are happy to partner with the Pali district administration and Nayara Energy to bring joyful reading experiences to children. It’s encouraging to see such strong participation from educators and district officials at the launch. With access to books and practical training, we hope teachers and anganwadi workers will be able to make reading a regular and enjoyable part of children’s daily experiences.”

The Pali initiative forms part of Nayara Energy’s year-long, multi-state Reading Promotion programme across Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan, aligned with its CSR focus on Education and Skill Development. The project will be complemented with periodic replenishment of books and community-led reading activities to sustain engagement over time. By strengthening early learning ecosystems through structured reading interventions, the initiative aims to foster long-term language development and a sustained culture of reading across communities.