For the first time ever, a digital library has opened in Shahpur Raja village, which falls under the Mohammadi tehsil area of Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri district. Built inside the village panchayat bhavan, the facility is meant to give local students access to modern, quality study resources without having to travel to a city, so they no longer need to leave home just to prepare for competitive exams or other coursework.
Long trips to town were eating into students' time and money
Students preparing for competitive exams have long faced a familiar problem: a proper library and a good study environment usually meant heading to a town or city far from home. That cost both time and money that many families in Shahpur Raja could not easily spare. To fix exactly this gap, the panchayat bhavan in the village now houses a digital library where students can study without paying any fee at all.
Computers, high-speed wifi and a quiet room, all under one roof
The library comes equipped with computer systems, high-speed wifi, chairs and tables to sit at, adequate lighting and a quiet setting to focus in. Students visiting the space will be able to use online study material, e-books, digital notes, online classes and information related to various competitive exams. The idea is to let rural students study with the same modern technology that their city counterparts already have access to, and children from financially weaker families in particular will now find better resources right in their own village. That saves them both time and money, and gives local talent a genuine shot at moving forward. The digital library that has come up in Shahpur Raja is being seen as a fresh start for education in the area.
'I couldn't afford a library', says student Anand Kumar
Anand Kumar, a student who studies at the library, said his family belongs to the middle class and he simply did not have the money to pay for a library while preparing for exams. He said the gram pradhan's initiative brought a digital library to his own village, and he now studies there in a calm environment that costs him nothing.
₹400000 built the village its first digital library
DPRO Vishal Singh said that setting up the digital library cost ₹400000. With the library now built inside the village panchayat bhavan, students have gained a solid option for studying close to home. He said many children in villages want to study but are unable to fulfil that dream simply because they lack resources. Now that the digital library is up and running, students are making use of it, and that is shaping a better future for them.
