Lucknow: Distance from cities is increasingly becoming less of a barrier to education in rural Uttar Pradesh, with the state government expanding digital library facilities across village panchayats. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath highlighted the initiative, stating that digital libraries, which were reportedly available at around 76 locations before 2017, are now accessible across 57,600 gram panchayats.
A digital library at Khasaha Mohammadpur in Tejwapur block of Bahraich illustrates the model. Set up at the gram panchayat secretariat, the facility combines conventional books with computers, printers, high-speed internet, Wi-Fi, smart television and digital learning content. It also has CCTV surveillance.
The library provides books for competitive examinations along with literature from the National Book Trust, giving students access to both printed and digital resources within their village.
According to the Chief Minister, such facilities are helping children and young people pursue e-learning and prepare for competitive examinations without having to travel to nearby cities, potentially saving both time and travel expenses.
The government has also said that around 60 lakh young people have been provided smartphones and tablets, while more than 32,000 schools have smart classrooms and over 15,000 schools have ICT laboratories.
The initiative is being presented as part of a broader effort to bring modern educational resources closer to rural communities and strengthen village panchayat secretariats as centres for learning and digital access.
