Hyderabad, September 24: Akarshana Satish, a 7th-grade student in Hyderabad, has garnered praise from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for her efforts to promote a reading habit among children through the establishment of libraries.
An 11-year-old student at Hyderabad Public School, Akarshana has set up seven libraries for children in various locations throughout the city, collectively housing more than 6,000 books.
Prime Minister Modi commended her work during his monthly radio program, Mann Ki Baat, on Sunday.
In 2021, Akarshana donated a library filled with children’s books to MNJ Cancer Hospital to provide children undergoing cancer treatment with the opportunity to spend their time constructively.
Akarshana was inspired during a visit to the hospital with her parents when children requested coloring books. Touched by this, she decided to gather books from neighbors and relatives and established the first children’s library at the hospital.
Over the course of a year, she collected 1,036 books in Telugu, English, and Hindi to create the library, providing children with an escape from their challenging treatment schedules.
The dedicated student went on to establish six more libraries for children in different locations.
Prime Minister Modi hailed her as an inspiration to all. One of Akarshana’s libraries was set up at the Girls Juvenile Home, operated by the Department of Women Development and Child Welfare, featuring 625 books and inaugurated in April.
Akarshana’s efforts have garnered recognition from several top officials, including Director General of Police Anjani Kumar and Additional DGPs Swati Lakra and Shikha Goel.