India Could Do With Adopting This New UAE Law For The Workplace

Are you the type of person who always has a book in their bag, a never-ending reading list and has enjoyed the nickname ‘bookworm’ at various different points in your life? Then United Arab Emirates is now the place for you. A new law was passed in UAE on 1st November 2016, which allows all employees to take time off work and read.

News Week Middle East reports that the law, which was passed by the President, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, is aimed to achieve the country’s goal of becoming more knowledge-based. The move will grant employees dedicated time for specialised reading during working hours while also providing families with newborn babies, ‘a knowledge briefcase.’

Heralding the phenomenal law, Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed said in a tweet: “The law consolidates the cultural image of books among society and will oblige schools to develop an annual plan to encourage reading among students, preventing destroying any book and instead preserve, reuse or donate it.

The law will encourage the private sector to invest in the establishment of libraries and cultural centres. This will be done by providing the private sector with facilities, incentives and discounts.”

He also added that all reading material will be exempted from any fees or taxes to support  the publishing sector, and there is also  provision of  facilities for authors and editors. Sheikh Mohammed said the nation’s goal is for 2016 to be the beginning of a sustainable cultural change among generations,  which we think is truly commendable.

Very often we see countries so focused solely on economic progress that they forget these elements in society, but with UAE taking the first, bold move ahead, we can rest assured that several other countries will follow its lead.

According to a UNICEF report, UAE has a literacy rate of almost 90% and with the implementation of such laws, it is clear that they are headed in the right direction to improve their population in terms of their knowledge and understanding.

Perhaps it is time for India to take  a leaf out of UAE’s book (pun not intended). We do have a rapidly increasing literacy rate but being able to read and actually reading are two different things and the government should be doing its part to encourage our society to become ‘more knowledge based’ as well.

In the past, India has proved to be home to several inventors and world leaders and if are to maintain the tradition and continue to produce world class innovation like the Mangalyaan, we should, as a country be more dedicated to learning and that can only begin with reading and absorbing information.

Feature Image Courtesy www.7days.ae