PlanetRead is a not for profit organization with the simple vision of a reading planet – a planet where everyone can read and has access to interesting and affordable reading opportunities in native and other language(s). We contribute to literacy worldwide by innovating and implementing simple, scalable, and cost-effective solutions, especially using mass media and information technologies. PlanetRead pioneered the concept of “Same-Language Subtitling” (SLS) for mass literacy, by suggesting its implementation on the immensely popular Bollywood film songs on TV in India. SLS is already on several song-based TV programs on Doordarshan, India’s national broadcaster. Our main target group is the early-literates, people who are officially “literate” but who cannot read, for example, the headlines of a newspaper. Problem: 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. Goal: The goal of the Same Language Subtitling (SLS) initiative, pioneered by PlanetRead and the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, is to transition over 300 million people in India, from a state of early-reading, to functional and fluent reading ability. SLS could also be implemented in many other countries saddled with the problem of weak reading skills at a mass level.
