Rajasthan District Turns 78 Abandoned Buildings Into Community Learning Hubs

In Rajasthan's Dholpur district, a network of 78 community learning centres called Digital Samvidhan Ghars has been established since 2024 across 700 panchayats, including remote villages near the Chambal ravines. The initiative, led by IAS officer Nivrutti Avhad, CEO of Zila Parishad Dholpur, converts abandoned government buildings — former schools, panchayat halls, and hospitals — into digital libraries equipped with computers, smart televisions, QR-coded book catalogues, printers, solar panels, CCTV cameras, RO water systems, and renovated toilets.

The centres remain open from morning until late night, allowing students to study around work, household duties, and agricultural schedules. Approximately 5,000 students have registered across the network, preparing for competitive examinations such as UPSC, RAS, NDA, army recruitment, and state teacher eligibility tests. In Gram Panchayat Pipret, sarpanch Dharmendra Singh Parmar reported that three students cleared army selection within months of the local centre opening.

Funding came from multiple sources: SBI Card contributed Rs 2.2 crore for 28 centres through CSR, IIFCL provided Rs 4.2 crore for 50 centres, and MLA Area Development Scheme funds supported libraries in the Baseri constituency. Crucially, every village was required to contribute labour, funds, furniture, or panchayat resources, a condition Avhad set to ensure community ownership and long-term sustainability.

Each centre is managed by a 'Samvidhan Sakhi', a woman selected from the village's self-help groups who receives a monthly stipend to oversee daily operations, maintain records, and coordinate activities. Avhad said this design was intentional: 'No politics, only didi will come. So nobody can say no to didi.' The female-led management has made the spaces more accessible for girls and married women, who form a significant share of daily visitors in many villages.

One registered user, 18-year-old Mohini Parmar, walks 500 metres daily to her village centre after completing household responsibilities. After her father died during the COVID-19 pandemic, she taught herself English and now prepares for the Rajasthan Eligibility Examination for Teachers (REET), having previously aimed for the Air Force. Pregnant women and others previously unable to travel to distant coaching hubs in Jaipur now study locally.

Beyond education, the centres host gram sabhas, screen government programmes, and serve as venues for community discussions on water, roads, and employment. Avhad emphasised that the model is built to outlast administrative transfers: 'Public institutions become meaningful only when people use them, trust them, and feel ownership over them. Just as every village has a school, an anganwadi, and a hospital, every village should also have a digital library.'