Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday launched the ‘Gramin Gyan Setu’ app, an initiative aimed at interconnecting libraries across the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency of Gujarat and promoting a culture of reading among children and young people.
Launched through video conferencing on the occasion of National Library Day, the initiative seeks to establish a library in every village, preferably at a central location near schools, and provide rural readers access to a much larger pool of books through a technology-enabled hub-and-spoke model.
HM Shah noted that 752 libraries have already been connected to the Gramin Gyan Setu app, while the process of establishing 63 village libraries has begun across the Gandhinagar, Kalol and Sanand assembly constituencies. Each of these libraries is planned to have around 5,000 to 6,000 books.
Rural libraries to provide access to 2.80 lakh books
Under the initiative, four larger libraries containing a combined 2.80 lakh books have been linked with the rural libraries. The objective is to enable children in villages to access a much wider range of reading material than would otherwise be available locally.
HM Shah said he had personally curated a list of books for the village libraries, with an emphasis on titles that can stimulate children’s interest in reading and encourage them to explore different fields of knowledge.
The libraries will also provide books useful for the career development of adolescents and youth, preparation for state and national competitive examinations, and information on Gujarat’s history, India’s history, the freedom struggle and the 1857 uprising.
MPLAD-funded vans to facilitate book exchange
To ensure regular circulation of books, vans provided through HM Shah’s MP Local Area Development (MPLAD) funds will visit villages every fortnight. The vehicles will collect books that have already been issued and deliver books requested through the Gramin Gyan Setu app to village libraries.
HM Shah said the arrangement would allow children who normally have access to a library containing a few thousand books to benefit from a network with access to a collection of 2.80 lakh books.
HM Shah recalls role of libraries in his own learning
Speaking about the importance of libraries, HM Shah recalled his association with the Mahatma Gandhi Library in Mansa, where he said he acquired knowledge across several subjects over a period of 16 years. He later became associated with the library of Gujarat Vidyapith in Ahmedabad.
He said libraries had played an important role in developing his habit of reading and study, which eventually helped him build deeper knowledge in areas of interest.
HM Shah emphasised that cultivating a reading habit among children requires encouragement from parents as well as guidance from librarians. He said libraries can play an important role in shaping knowledgeable and capable citizens by supporting children as they progress from childhood to adolescence and adulthood.
Technology to expand library networks
The Home Minister said the initiative was initially conceived by him and subsequently integrated with a technology-based approach by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and the state government.
He proposed connecting institutions such as Sastu Sahitya Mandal, Gita Press, the Bhupen Hazarika Institute and the Thiruvalluvar Institute with libraries in Gandhinagar and across Gujarat through online platforms.
HM Shah expressed confidence that technology would enable students and readers in rural areas to access knowledge resources from a wider network of institutions.
He also urged homemakers to make productive use of their spare time by developing knowledge across different subjects and encouraging children to cultivate the habit of reading and study.
The initiative is intended to use digital connectivity and physical book-sharing mechanisms together to strengthen village-level access to libraries and create a sustained reading culture among rural communities.
