Reading Lamp is frequently used in rural area in India.

According to Indyalive’s managing director, only 19 percent of rural areas in India have electricity. The rest use foul-smelling kerosene lamps to light their huts, which pollute, provide little light and are major fire hazards. In addition, the low light levels make it difficult to see scorpions and snakes that make their way into people’s homes at night.

As in any non-electrified society, life is defined by the sun; little is accomplished once it. With children helping out with chores during daytime, it leaves little chance for them to study from Reading Lamps.

Interesting but what's the aim of this thread?

It is as good a place as any to rant about the human condition. Cut the guy some slack. At 45° N. Latitude we have to heat our homes in the winter. Although I live in a 1st world country we have a 3rd world power system. We have regular power outages because the township let builders and developers build homes with easy money from Wall Street without planning for the increased load on the power grid. When the power goes out for three days in January and the temp is -20° C it gets mighty cold. So you can't read at night while I freeze my bahjingies off. Count your blessings that you live near the equator. Why should it be this way? I don't know -- it is what it is.

agreed. although posting without leaving a question or the like leaves nobody really to comment or debate.

I think it was an observation. It could also be thought of as a plea to make it better.

http://www.physorg.com/news176991580.html

You may be a college student or higher learning,the better thing
we could suggest some organizations to help you generate some
power for your area. Go to your professor and detail your concerns to help.
You have google to search for organizations,I will do a few searchs
and will post names If I find something that may helpful. Have you ever
heard of sister cities In the U.S.A..Will need to know your general
location,remember thIs Is a small world. How do you receive packages,
Is there gasoline In your area. Good Luck -Loosewire
Searched-India small village without power-look for N.P.R. Taped
program on this subject. N.P.R. National Public Radio and many
more stories. They have 30 minute crank radios with l.e.d. lite.
Wikipedea list India sister cities -check It out.

How about the three hour reading lamp? My reading lamp has 42 white LED's, draws 242ma. @ 12 VDC. So you bribe your little brother to hand crank the little 4 amp generator for, say 15 minutes. That amount of cranking puts 1 amp-hour of capacity into a lead-acid battery. That will power the LED reading lamp for the next 3+ hours.
Sound possible?
Regards, DPW [ Spent years making heaters out of op-amps.]