Chandigarh: The School of Punjabi Studies, Panjab University (PU), in collaboration with RUSA 2.0, organised a public outreach and engagement activity on “The Contemporary Punjabi Reader: Changing Reading Culture, Media and New Literary Possibilities” at Mohan Singh Diwana Hall on Friday.The programme brought together teachers, students and research scholars from colleges and universities for discussions on changes in reading habits and the role of literature in the digital age.Head of the department Paramjit Kaur Sidhu welcomed the participants and stressed the need for dialogue between literature and readers. RUSA coordinator Ganga Ram Chaudhary spoke about the changing nature of contemporary readership.Delivering the keynote address, Punjabi writer Dr Manmohan Singh discussed changing ways of reading and the continuing significance of books and literature. Surinder Kumar Daveshwar, who presided over the programme, described readers as a distinct subculture and discussed the relationship between book culture, media and artificial intelligence.The academic sessions focused on Punjabi publishing, translation, challenges faced by writers, new readers and the role of digital media in literary dissemination. Speakers also discussed ways of reaching younger generations of readers.
