The Department of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) of Karnataka has expanded its partnership with the British Council to strengthen English language teaching, library services and access to knowledge in rural areas through the state’s Gram Panchayat Arivu Kendras (Knowledge Centres).
As part of this expanded collaboration, the number of British Council library corners in Gram Panchayat Arivu Kendras will increase from 10 to 70, with an additional 60 centers set up across the state. As part of the initiative, the British Council will provide 3,000 English children’s books and expand free access to its digital library resources, enabling rural readers to connect with global knowledge platforms and curated English learning content.
The Enhanced Partnership Agreement was signed on Thursday under the chairmanship of RDPR Minister Priyank Kharge and Deputy High Commissioner Chandra Iyyar between Karnataka Panchayat Raj Commissioner Dr. Arundhathi Chandrasekhar and British Council Director for South India Janaka Pushpanathan.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Priyank Kharge emphasized the importance of strengthening rural knowledge infrastructure and expanding access to English learning for the youth across the state. He said, “Gram panchayat libraries have evolved into vibrant Arivu Kendras – centers of learning, curiosity and knowledge for rural communities across Karnataka. During the pandemic, these libraries have become critical learning spaces for children, and by offering free membership to those in the age group of 6 to 18 years, we have brought more than 5 million young readers into the fold.”
“For many young people in rural Karnataka, knowing English is an important pathway to higher education, employability and social mobility. Our partnership with the British Council helps bring high-quality English learning resources, books and digital content closer to these students,” he said.
The minister highlighted that Karnataka is building one of the largest rural knowledge networks in the country through its gram panchayat libraries. Currently, 5,884 Gram Panchayat Arivu Kendras are functioning in rural Karnataka and plans are underway to establish around 6,600 more village libraries, creating a network of over 12,000 rural libraries across the state, he pointed out.
These centers are equipped with computers and internet connections, allowing access to digital learning resources, online training and enrichment programs that can reach children and students in thousands of villages simultaneously. The state government transferred the management of gram panchayat libraries from the Ministry of Public Libraries to gram panchayats under the Ministry of RDPR from 1 March 2019. Since then, these libraries have been upgraded as Arivu Kendras, designed as community knowledge centers offering services such as digital learning resources, career guidance systems, institutional literacy initiatives, assistive technologies for the disabled, assistive technologies.
More than 5 million children are registered members of Gram Panchayat Arivu Kendras where regular activities are organized to promote learning and personality development of children.
Published – 12 March 2026 21:43 IST
