PlanetRead

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}} {{Infobox organization | name = PlanetRead | native_name =  | native_name_lang =  | named_after = | image = File:PlanetRead_logo.png | image_size = | image_alt = PlanetRead logo | caption = | map =  | map_size =  | map_alt = | map_caption = | map2 =  | map2_size = | map2_alt = | map2_caption = | abbreviation = | predecessor = | merged_into =  | successor = | formation =   | founder =  | founding_location = | extinction =   | merger =  | type = Nonprofit organization | status = U.S. 501(c)(3)<br>India 80(G) | focus = Literacy | professional_title =  | headquarters = | location = | coordinates =  | region_served = India | services = Same Language Subtitling | membership =  | num_members_year =  | language =   | secretary_general =  | leader_title = President | leader_name = Brij Kothari | leader_title2 = Chief Operating Officer | leader_name2 = Nirav Shah | leader_title3 = | leader_name3 = | leader_title4 = | leader_name4 = | board_of_directors = | key_people = | main_organ =   | parent_organization =  | subsidiaries = | secessions = | affiliations = | budget = | budget_year = | num_staff =  | num_staff_year =  | num_volunteers =  | num_volunteers_year =  | slogan =  | website = {{URL|planetread.org}} | remarks = | former_name =  | footnotes = <ref>{{cite web |title=Team |website=PlanetRead |url=https://www.planetread.org/team |access-date=2017-09-16 }}</ref> }}

'''PlanetRead''' is a non-profit founded by Ashoka Fellow, Brij Kothari, to provide Same Language Subtitling on Bollywood music videos in the same language that they are sung in to promote functional literacy. There are an estimated 650 million literate people in India. In reality, half the so-called ‘literates,’ more than 300 million people, can best be called ‘early-literate.’ They cannot read, for example, newspaper headlines.{{Citation needed|date=September 2017}}

==Same language subtitling== {{Unreferenced section|date=September 2017}} Same Language Subtitling (SLS) has been implemented on existing Bollywood film songs on TV, in 10 languages: {{columns-list|colwidth=15em| * Hindi * Bengali * Gujarati * Marathi * Telugu * Tamil * Kannada * Malayalam * Odia * Punjabi }}

A Hindi song is shown with the lyrics subtitled in Hindi, Tamil songs with Tamil subtitles, and so on. What you hear is what you read. The subtitles are designed to change the color of every word in perfect timing with the song. SLS is cost-effective. On a Hindi program, one U.S. dollar gives reading practice to 5,000 people for one year.

IIM Ahmedabad and PlanetRead Trust have nationally implemented SLS in partnership with Doordarshan. Donors have included: * All Children Reading (USAID) * Google Foundation * Sir Ratan Tata Trust * Development Marketplace (World Bank) * Dell Giving * Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India

==Media coverage== PlanetRead has been featured by ''The Economist'',<ref>{{Cite news |date=2015-04-25 |title = A bolly good read|url = https://www.economist.com/news/asia/21649537-india-tries-cheap-and-cheerful-way-teaching-people-read-bolly-good-read |newspaper=The Economist |access-date = 2015-10-20|issn = 0013-0613}}</ref> ''The Boston Globe'',<ref>{{Cite news|title = Watch and learn|url = http://archive.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2010/09/19/watch_and_learn/|newspaper = Boston Globe|date = 2010-09-19|access-date = 2015-10-20|first = Riddhi|last = Shah}}</ref> ''The Huffington Post'',<ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-02-12 |title = A Prime Minister Gets the Innovation Ball Rolling|url = https://www.huffingtonpost.com/brij-kothari/a-prime-minister-gets-the_b_6139754.html |website=Huffington Post|accessdate = 2015-10-20 |first = Brij|last = Kothari |author-link=Brij Kothari }}</ref> The World Bank,<ref>{{cite web |first=Michael |last=Trucano |date=2014-01-31 |title=Bollywood Karaoke and Same Language Subtitling to Promote Literacy |website=EduTech |publisher=World Bank |url=http://blogs.worldbank.org/edutech/bollywood-karaoke |access-date=2017-09-16 }}</ref> and ''Extreme Tech''.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Nicola |last=Davies |date=2015-06-12 |title=Keeping it simple: The next technology revolution |url = http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/207985-keeping-it-simple-the-next-technology-revolution|website = ExtremeTech|accessdate = 2015-10-20}}</ref> Former U.S. President Bill Clinton also spoke about the importance PlanetRead and Same Language Subtitling.<ref>{{Cite AV media |people=Bill Clinton |medium=Video |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juZOlmf9APk |title=Clinton Global Initiative: 'Same Language Subtitling' on TV for Mass Literacy in India |date=2009-10-10 |via=YouTube |publisher=PlanetRead }}</ref>

PlanetRead has conducted many studies demonstrating the positive impact of Same Language Subtitling.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.same-language-subtitling.com/research.html |title=Research on Same-Language-Subtitling |accessdate=2017-09-16 |website=Same-Language-Subtitling }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=SLS Group |website=PlanetRead |url=https://www.planetread.org/sls |access-date=2017-09-16 }}</ref> Their most recent study was in August 2015.<ref>{{Cite report |date=2015-08-04 |title=Same Language Subtitling on TV: Putting Children's Reading Literacy on a Path to Lifelong Practice and Improvement |type=Executive Summary |publisher=PlanetRead |location=Puducherry, India |url=https://www.planetread.org/images/pdf/research/Research-Article-2015-SLS-Impact-in-Maharashtra-Aug-4-2015.pdf }}</ref>

PlanetRead also has all their show times on their website.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Programs that have been telecast with Same Language Subtitling |website=PlanetRead |url=https://www.planetread.org/slsprograms |accessdate=2017-09-16 }}</ref>

==See also== * BookBox * Literacy in India

==References== {{reflist|2}}

==External links== * {{Official website|https://www.planetread.org/}}

Category:Non-profit organisations based in India Category:Organizations promoting literacy Category:Literacy in India Category:Subtitling Category:Indian social entrepreneurs