Azim Premji Foundation's New Library Brings Free Books To This MP Village

In Madhya Pradesh’s Padariya Thoban, a ‘smart village’ in Damoh district, the Azim Premji Foundation has established a library. The initiative ensured that school children got books to read for free. With this library, children can read whatever book they want to pick without any charges. A majority of the books in the library are children’s literature.

The step will further encourage students to build a knack for reading and studying. The library will help them get the books of their choice. Currently, the library is stocked with general knowledge books for classes 1 to 8 and other subject-related books are available for free here. The free charge will further make books accessible to everyone.

The limited population of the village and good thinking of the authorities have pushed for development that is witnessed almost every year. Previously, Padariya Thoban was the only smart village in Madhya Pradesh, where smart classes were provided to school children. The village also installed CCTV cameras for monitoring and security. The village encouraged clean roads and raised awareness among people. Now, with the establishment of the free library, it is yet another step towards promoting education. The free books will inculcate a habit of reading among the younger population.

One of the biggest contributions to making Padariya Thoban a smart village is the youth. The youth of the village have secured government jobs in various departments after completing their education. Instead of leaving the village and going to the big city for job opportunities, they stayed back and continued to work for the welfare of the village and raise awareness. One such youth is Anuj Bajpai, who works in the Indian Culture Department of Damoh District. He keeps visiting the village from time to time and prepares new plans of action to promote education, boost development and ensure there is employment in the village so the next generation will not have to leave their village and instead choose to stay back. He also ensures that every child in the village gets the best education possible.