Atal Libraries will play a crucial role in preparing rural youth for competitive exams and connecting them with digital knowledge: HIRD Director Dr. Virender Singh Chauhan

Karnal, December 25, 2025: On the eve of Birth Anniversary of Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee, 250 villages in Haryana received the historic gift of Atal libraries. Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated these libraries from Panchkula in the presence of Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini.

Dr. Virender Singh Chauhan, Director of the Haryana Institute of Rural Development (HIRD), attended the inauguration ceremony of the Atal library in Rahda village of the district as the chief guest, along with the rural community.

Dr. Virender Chauhan informed that the Ministry of Panchayati Raj initiated the work of establishing approximately 1,000 rural e-libraries in the state. Of these, 250 libraries have been completed at a cost of approximately ₹34 crore and have now been handed over to the Gram Panchayats for operation.

Dr. Chauhan said that a management committee chaired by the Sarpanch has been established to operate these Atal libraries, which also includes retired academics and representatives from voluntary organizations residing in the village, so that libraries can become centers of knowledge, dialogue, and culture for the village, rather than just buildings. He said that Atal libraries will prove to be a powerful medium for rural youth to engage in studies, competitive exam preparation, and digital knowledge, and will play a crucial role in realizing the vision of Gram Swaraj.

Dr. Virender Singh Chauhan, a former Vice President of the Haryana Granth Academy, explained that he has been actively involved for the past decade and a half in transforming the establishment of libraries in rural areas into a mass movement. “The introduction of e-libraries in the state began during the tenure of then Chief Minister Manohar Lal. The foundation for this unique initiative was laid when the first time profitable power companies sought guidance on social work under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR),” he added.

Under Dr. Chauhan's guidance, Sardar Patel libraries were established by municipal corporations in many villages. Later, the Development and Panchayat Department took this idea forward and transformed it into a statewide campaign. Dr. Chauhan explained that instead of constructing new buildings for libraries, existing unused, dilapidated community buildings or unused school rooms in villages have been identified and these buildings are being renovated and converted into modern libraries. Each library is equipped with computers, broadband-based internet, and digital learning facilities. The District Councils have also played a key role in this endeavor.

HIRD Director Dr. Chauhan said that the libraries inaugurated by the Union Home Minister include fifteen libraries each in Karnal, Ambala, Yamunanagar, Hisar, Jhajjar, Rohtak, Bhiwani, Jind, and Fatehabad districts. He added that Karnal district alone has the highest number of approved Atal libraries, with 121 libraries.