A modern library in Nani Bhatlav village of Bardoli taluka in Gujarat's Surat district — started during the Covid-19 pandemic by a young sarpanch using personal funds — has grown into a round-the-clock educational hub serving competitive exam aspirants from nearly 20 surrounding villages. The facility, now supported under the state government's Vatan Prem Yojana, draws more than 100 students daily and has already helped several candidates secure government and private-sector jobs.

From a Dilapidated Hall to a Two-Storey Building

The library was first set up in 2021 by Ankit Chaudhary, the village's young sarpanch, inside a run-down community hall at his own expense. The initiative was a direct response to the disruption caused by the pandemic, which had cut off many students in this tribal-dominated area from any structured study environment.

The project later attracted funding through the Vatan Prem Yojana, under which NRI Pratap Pandya donated ₹7 lakh. The state government supplemented this with a grant of ₹10.5 lakh, enabling the library to shift into a purpose-built two-storey structure.

What the Library Offers

The facility now operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with no fees charged to students. It provides free seating for up to 123 students, an extensive collection of books for competitive examinations, and WiFi connectivity for online study. Both male and female students have access to the seating facility.

Notably, the library also conducts mock competitive tests designed to replicate actual examination conditions. Shweta Chaudhary, a student using the facility, said: 'The same experience that we get while sitting in an examination hall is recreated here as well.'

Students Speak: A Lifeline for Government Job Aspirants

Nishchal Chaudhary, who travels from nearby Vadhvaniya village to study here, described the library as indispensable. 'I have been preparing for a government job for the past year. The library is extremely useful. Since I joined, the library has remained open 24 hours a day, with no charges... whatever books we need for studying are made available to us,' he said.

Students regularly preparing for government recruitment examinations make up the bulk of daily visitors, according to local authorities. Examination centres for these candidates are located as far away as Surat, Ahmedabad, and Gandhinagar — and the library arranges transportation for them on exam days, sarpanch Ankit Chaudhary confirmed.

Expansion Plans and Broader Impact

A hostel is currently under construction to accommodate students travelling from distant villages, allowing them to stay in Nani Bhatlav and continue uninterrupted preparation. This comes amid growing demand, with visitors now arriving regularly from 15 to 20 villages in the region.

Several alumni of the library have already cleared competitive examinations and found placements in both government and private sectors — a track record that has reinforced its reputation across the district. With infrastructure expanding and institutional support in place, the Nani Bhatlav library appears poised to deepen its role as a grassroots educational anchor for tribal Gujarat.