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Bihar’s ‘didi libraries’ promote reading habit among children in villages

The Bihar government has launched the "Didi ki library" initiative to cultivate a reading habit among children in rural areas.
By Jitendra Jangid May 1, 2023, 13:24 IST
In a bid to encourage children in villages to promote the habit of reading, the Bihar government has started ‘Didi ki library’, established under Jeevika. The first Didi ki library or community library in Singheshwar was inaugurated by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on February 10. At least 100 libraries have been opened in 32 districts. Community Library and Career Development Centres (CLCDCs) have also been set up in many blocks of the state. Jeevika’s CEO Rahul Kumar said that the 100 Community Library-cum-Career Development Centres (CLCDCs) established by Jeevika as study centres of various courses recognised by the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) will help promote education in rural children. Kumar said that there are a total of 12,318 members registered in all the 100 community libraries, of which about 80 per cent are girls. Till now, 63 government buildings have been taken over for the purpose, while the remaining 37 are being developed in private houses hired by Jeevika. The building marked for the operation of CLCDC has a hall, which can accommodate about 30-40 people and two rooms, in which one room is used as a physical and digital library-cum-office and the other room is used as a study room. The hall is used for other teaching-training activities including conducting digital and physical classes as per the requirement. Books for preparation of various higher education entrance exams including class 9th to 12th textbook, e-books and notes are available in the library. Rohan Rai, a resident of Singheshwar, who works as a labourer said that girls were not able to study properly at home. The library is helping in promoting education among rural children who, for various reasons, did not get time and facilities for studying at their homes. He said that such a facility in the village would be effective in the field of education of girls.

The Bihar government has launched the "Didi ki library" initiative to cultivate a reading habit among children in rural areas. The program, established under Jeevika, has opened over 100 community libraries across 32 districts, with the first one inaugurated by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in Singheshwar.

Additionally, Community Library and Career Development Centres (CLCDCs) have been established in many blocks of the state to serve as study centers for various courses recognized by the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) and promote education in rural children. According to Jeevika's CEO Rahul Kumar, the 100 CLCDCs have a total of 12,318 registered members, with about 80% being girls.

The libraries offer textbooks, e-books, notes, and materials for various higher education entrance exams, and the buildings used for CLCDCs are equipped with a hall, study room, and a physical and digital library-cum-office. The library has been well-received by residents, with one Singheshwar resident stating that it is particularly helpful for girls who were previously unable to study properly at home.

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