Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has said digital libraries are now available across 57,600 gram panchayats, allowing rural students to access books, internet connectivity and computers without travelling to cities for study resources. He highlighted the initiative while describing a facility at the Gram Panchayat Secretariat in Khasha Mohammadpur village in Bahraich district’s Tejwapur block.
In a post on X, Adityanath said students in villages had earlier spent time and money travelling to urban centres to access books, information and better study facilities. The digital library in Khasha Mohammadpur, he said, has reduced that distance by bringing reading material and digital infrastructure to the local level.
According to the chief minister’s account, the facility includes computers, a printer, high-speed internet connectivity, Wi-Fi, a smart television and CCTV coverage. It also has books for competitive examination preparation and literature published by the National Book Trust. Students and young people are using the space for self-study, e-learning and examination preparation, he said.
The facility model places educational access inside a gram panchayat secretariat, a building traditionally associated with local administration. The expansion therefore links the delivery of public services with access to information and learning infrastructure in villages. The report did not provide details on operating hours, staffing, maintenance arrangements, user numbers or the budget allocated to individual libraries.
Adityanath cited statewide figures to indicate the scale of the programme. He said e-library access, which was available at around 76 locations before 2017, had been extended to 57,600 gram panchayats. Uttar Pradesh has also distributed smartphones and tablets to around 60 lakh young people, according to his statement.
The chief minister further said smart classrooms had been introduced in 32,000 schools and information and communication technology laboratories had been established in more than 15,000 schools. These figures were presented as part of a broader effort to improve access to digital learning and information outside the state’s major urban centres.
Adityanath also compared the current programme with the period between 2012 and 2016, alleging that 6.22 lakh children did not receive textbooks and 97 lakh did not receive uniforms despite government funds being available. The statement did not provide further details on the basis or administrative records supporting those figures.
The initiative’s immediate relevance for rural residents will depend on continued internet availability, functioning equipment, updated books and regular access to the facilities. The chief minister said gram panchayat secretariats were increasingly serving as hubs of knowledge and technology alongside their administrative role.
