According to officials, the Haryana government has set up 985 libraries, spending Rs 150 crore. For many rural youths, the libraries are a symbol of Haryana’s growing aspiration.

“These libraries have been set up in chaupals and community centres,” an official from the Development and Panchayats Department says. “We’ve provided books, furniture and air conditioners to help students study.”

The libraries have drawn thousands of students across the state. One such village is Gorakhpur in Fatehabad district, where two regulars cleared the Haryana Staff Selection Commission (HSSC) examination for Group D posts Friday.

The latest selections take the number of the library’s regulars who have secured government jobs since it was set up in October 2020 to 40.

“We set up the library because youngsters, particularly girls, from our village preparing for competitive examinations had to travel either 15 km to Bhuna town or 40 km to Hisar city to study,” says Satywan Numberdar, who played a key role in establishing the facility. “Today, around 70 students regularly study at the library.”

Group C posts include positions such as junior engineers, clerks, excise and taxation inspectors, auditors, assistant managers, patwaris, and male and female police constables. Group D posts comprise entry-level positions in government departments, including peons, animal attendants, helpers, gardeners, cooks and water carriers.

According to locals, the demand for village libraries gathered momentum after nearly 18,000 candidates were recruited for Group D posts in Haryana in 2018.

A typical library has 40 to 100 seats. Some are government-run, while others are privately managed. Most are simply furnished with study tables and chairs, and many have air conditioners to beat the summer heat. The panchayat-supported library in Pabra charges Rs 300 a month to cover maintenance costs, while three privately run libraries in Pabra charge around Rs 800.

Government libraries are funded under the Atal e-Libraries scheme, while private ones are financed by private individuals. Most stock books and study material for examinations conducted by the Haryana Staff Selection Commission.

The growing number of libraries reflects changing aspirations among rural youth, says Kuldeep Kundu, who runs one such private facility in Pabra.

“During the Bhupinder Singh Hooda-led Congress government, there was a surge in sports because government jobs were offered to sports persons who excelled at the national and international levels. During the BJP government, there has been a surge in libraries as people increasingly believe that government jobs are now being awarded on merit,” he says.

The movement is now spreading to neighbouring villages.

“Inspired by the success of the library at Pabra, we helped establish a library in the neighbouring Kinala. It was initially meant for both boys and girls, but girls occupied all the available seats almost immediately after it opened. We are now setting up another library exclusively for boys. We are also planning to establish a library in neighbouring Kandul village,” he says.

Fatehabad Deputy Commissioner Vivek Bharti welcomed the initiative.

“Young people have realised that government jobs can be secured through dedication and hard work. The increasing number of libraries reflects the belief that recruitment is based on merit, making serious study essential,” he says.

The government now plans to establish Atal e-Libraries in all 6,225 gram panchayats across the state.

“These libraries will be equipped with computers, air-conditioned study rooms, furniture and books for competitive examinations so that students in rural areas can access better educational facilities,” Haryana Development and Panchayats Minister Krishan Lal Panwar says, while an official adds: “We plan to establish another 1,000 libraries during the current financial year.”

The number of private libraries, too, is growing. For instance, encouraged by the success of the first library, Gorakhpur village has already opened a second one, with a third in the works.

Aashu hopes her own village of Faridpur is one of those villages. Also, a government job aspirant, Aashu commutes 7 km away to the Pabra library every day to study.

“I’m fortunate that my parents have given me a scooty to travel to the library. Other girls from my village come by bus and then have to walk nearly one kilometre from the bus stand to the library,” she says.

The impact is evident in the growing number of students preparing for competitive examinations. Aman Kumar, a BA final-year student, is one of them.

“I reach the library at 5 am every day and stay here till 10 pm whenever I don’t have to attend college. I dream of a government job in Haryana,” he says.