Yogi Government to Open Digital Libraries in 11,350 Gram Panchayats, Easing Path for Rural Youth to Become Officers

In a landmark initiative aimed at empowering rural youth with modern education and competitive exam preparation facilities, the Uttar Pradesh government has announced the establishment of digital libraries in 11,350 gram panchayats in the first phase. Acting on the directives of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the scheme seeks to bridge the urban–rural education gap and make quality learning resources accessible at the grassroots level.

With this move, students in villages will no longer have to migrate to cities to prepare for civil services and other competitive examinations. Instead, they will gain access to high-quality academic content within their own gram panchayats.

According to Amit Kumar Singh, Director of Panchayati Raj, digital libraries will be opened in a phased manner across all districts of the state. He said the initiative is expected to significantly improve educational standards in rural areas and enhance employability among young aspirants.

Under the government plan, around ₹4 lakh will be spent on each digital library. This includes:

• ₹2 lakh for books,
• ₹1.30 lakh for IT equipment, and
• ₹70,000 for modern furniture.

Each library will be equipped with e-books, video lectures, audio content, quizzes, and nearly 20,000 digital educational resources, providing students with a comprehensive learning ecosystem.

The management of these libraries will rest with the gram pradhan and gram secretary, while assistant officers will be deployed to ensure regular monitoring and smooth functioning.

The government has already completed the book selection process in 35 districts, and digital libraries are expected to become operational soon in gram panchayats of these districts, including the state capital Lucknow.

Districts where digital libraries will be established include Amroha, Azamgarh, Banda, Ballia, Baghpat, Badaun, Bareilly, Bijnor, Chitrakoot, Etah, Fatehpur, Farrukhabad, Firozabad, Ghaziabad, Ghazipur, Hardoi, Hapur, Jalaun, Kanpur Dehat, Kannauj, Kaushambi, Kasganj, Lucknow, Mau, Moradabad, Muzaffarnagar, Pratapgarh, Prayagraj, Raebareli, Sambhal, Shamli, Siddharthnagar, Shravasti, Sultanpur and Sitapur, among others.

The Yogi government believes this ambitious programme will play a crucial role in achieving the vision of “Developed India 2047” by digitally empowering rural talent and creating equal educational opportunities for students across Uttar Pradesh.