The National Education Policy 2020 places strong emphasis on providing adequate reading materials, such as supplementary readers and other teaching-learning materials, to offer students a literature rich experience that fosters a lasting interest in reading. This content should create opportunities for students to delve into the beauty of literature, both in depth and breadth.
With this objective in mind, we have compiled a selection of Indian Women's Writings. The literary contributions of Indian women have been diverse and prolific, and it is essential to recognise the voices of women writers from all corners of the country. Various genres, including prose, poetry, and short stories, often employed by women writers, offer reader a wide range of writing styles to explore. This collection not only broadens the readers horizons but also exposes them to India's rich literary heritage.
Furthermore, this compilation delves into issues that span the spectrum of languages, providing exposure to a variety of literature and forms appropriate for students at the Middle Stage. This exposure has been designed to cultivate an interest in reading among students.
The National Curriculum Framework for School Education 2023 emphasises the importance of students in the Middle Stage becoming independent learners. As students progress, they develop a more critical understanding of the text, recognising that authors have specific viewpoints and multiple perspectives are possible. They can express their own understanding and critically evaluate text, allowing them to enjoy reading and write reviews, use reading for references, and develop an interest in reading various books, thus enhancing their critical and creative skills.
The selection is based on the themes outlined in NEP 2020 and aims to cultivate students' competency as independent readers. It comprises twelve representative stories and twelve representative poems from celebrated Indian women writers. The stories and poems are organised thematically as far as possible.
How I Taught my Grandmother to Read' depicts the interaction between different generations, highlighting the positive contributions each can make to the other. Don't Wash' showcases Rasha Sundari Debi's motivation to learn, marking an early movement in the history of women's writing in India. Cowgirl introduces Govindi, who displays determination and perseverance in solving her problems, drawing inspiration from the positive power of the media to find creative solutions.
The poem Home' raises questions about the freedom to do what one likes, conveys a tale that person's wit and wisdom, addressing ageism. To the Chinese Restaurant revisits memories through a restaurant's ambience.
The National Education Policy 2020 lays emphasis on the development of reading among students right from the foundational stage for fostering Lifelong learning opportunities. Literature stands out as a significant resource for language and literacy development. By providing a variety of books, including supplementary readers in schools, we can cultivate a sense of appreciation for sahitya (literature). The National Curriculum Framework for School Education 2023 also highlights the importance of students gaining an understanding of the vast array of languages and the richness of cultures in India. Students can appreciate diversity in linguistic, and cultural identities through samples of various kinds of literature from languages spanning the subcontinent. This involves selecting content that comprises writings of authors from diverse backgrounds and includes various types of literature that represent local, regional, and linguistic diversity This approach encourages an appreciation of the subcontinent's cultures. To cultivate literary skills, students must be introduced to and exposed to different genres of literature. At the Middle Stage, the introduction of both nonfiction and fiction can broaden students' horizons and enhance their critical reading and writing abilities.
The National Council of Educational Research and Training is committed to providing students with high quality reading materials. This supplementary reader comprises selected literary pieces representing the rich and proud lineage of Indian women writers who have contributed to literary, cultural, and linguistic diversity while being rooted in Indianness. This category of scholarship covers a wide range of themes-personal and social-their lives, achievements, opinions, imaginations, struggles, and triumphs of these remarkable women. Women's writings serve not only as a form of expression but also as a means of transmitting cultural heritage, traditions, knowledge, dispositions and values from one generation to the next. The emotions conveyed in their writings and the issues they address help readers appreciate the authors' intent, understand the context, identify core content, interpret possible meanings, and most importantly, foster gender sensitisation.
The authors chosen for this supplementary reader have also received prestigious awards such as Padma Bhushan, Padma Shri, and Sahitya Akademi awards, among others. Both language and library classes allow students to explore books that interest them, allocate time for reading, support student literacy, and provide a literature-rich experience for developing interest in reading. Consequently, students transition from learning to read to the Yeading to learn stage. By the Middle Stage, students are developmentally and apply their language skills, and become independent readers.
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