CHENNAI: A Dhanya Varshini, a precocious Class 2 child of the Panchayat Union Primary School of Kangayam union in Tiruppur district, has become a storyteller in her own right as her observations of a bird’s world have now become part of the books released under the state government’s Vasippu Iyakkam (reading movement) this year. Her story Kuruvi Muttai (Sparrow’s Egg) will now be read by students across the state.
The state government launched the programme two years ago to promote reading as a movement among schoolchildren. Under the initiative, students are encouraged to read books suited to their reading level during free time and library period in schools.
The ‘iyakkam’ has taken a leap of faith in its third year, with 51 books, containing one story each written entirely by a student or a teacher, being released this year. More than 1.74 crore copies of these books are currently being distributed among students across the state, and Dhanya has now earned the pride of place of being the youngest story contributor.
It all began when Dhanya spotted a sparrow building a nest on the porch of her tiled-roof house last year. She was thrilled to observe the bird’s routine and her father would gently lift her on his shoulders so that she could peek into the nest where she saw three eggs one day.
She watched as the eggs hatched and the birds fed and cared for the babies, and the chicks eventually grew big to build a new nest of their own. Dhanya’s story also describes how her home turned into a lively space for the birds and the chicks.
Dhanya’s excitement about the experience led her to narrate the story to several people, including her teacher G Maheswari.
initiative has been extended to govt-aided schools as well
Encouraged by the teacher, Dhanya, who was still learning the alphabets in Class 1 at that time, narrated her experiences to her mother, who then penned it down.
When the programme was launched in 2023, one of its goals, apart from cultivating a reading habit among students, was to nurture student writers. “We invited students across all classes and teachers to submit their stories for publication under the initiative in a structured manner last year and received nearly 1,500 entries.
Of these, 51 have been selected and published now. In the previous two years, the department mainly relied on children’s writers to bring out these books with only a handful of contributions from interested teachers and students,” said an official of the Vasippu Iyakkam team.
Creative team members say stories written by teachers have a special ability to resonate with children as teachers spend more time with them and understand their world. Among the published books is Anbulla Anitha written by K Muthukannan, a teacher who is also part of the creative team.
The story is written in the form of a letter from a pair of cloth scissors at a textile mill to a former school dropout who once worked at the mill, before teachers helped her return to school. The story underscores the importance of education.
Of the 51 books, 17 were written by students, one is a collection of poems by students and the rest were authored by teachers. Stories of 28 children have been published so far in the three years. “There are three types of children’s literature, those written about children, for children, and by children. At present, books written by children are scarce in Tamil.
This initiative has created an opportunity for students to write, with the department publishing their work in large numbers. Unlike books by adults, which often aim to deliver a message, children write to express joy and that makes their stories more enjoyable for the readers. We have ensured that books written by children are published with minimal interference from teachers or parents,” said Muthukannan.
While government schoolchildren, especially from rural areas, might struggle to find opportunities to write and publish, this initiative opens the door for any government school student with an interest in writing to become a published author. “We aim to ensure that at least 90% of the books are authored by children themselves next year. Seeing their books in school libraries will inspire more students to pursue writing,” he added.
This year, the initiative has been extended to government-aided schools as well. In addition to the 51 new books, 30 English translations of previously published Tamil titles are also being released to promote the habit of English reading as well.
Part of 51 releases this year
Dhanya’s Kuruvi Muttai (Sparrow’s Egg) is part of the 51 books released under the Vasippu Iyakkam programme this year, featuring stories written entirely by a student or a teacher
What is Vasippu Iyakkam?
Launched (2023–24) on a pilot basis in 11 blocks across 11 districts
Books categorised by reading levels: Nulai (Enter) Nada (Walk) Oodu (Run) Para (Fly)
Books placed in classrooms for free reading or library periods
Expanded statewide in 2024–25 to all government schools
Over 174 titles published; nearly 4 crore copies printed
What’s New in 2025–26?
51 new books written by children and teachers — a first for the initiative
Scheme extended to government-aided schools
English translations of 30 Nulai level books introduced to promote English reading