Bengaluru, March 12 (NationPress) The government of Karnataka has significantly enhanced its collaboration with the British Council to promote English education and elevate library services in rural locales via the state's Gram Panchayat 'Arivu Kendras' (Knowledge Centres).

With this expanded partnership, the number of British Council Library Corners within these Arivu Kendras will rise from 10 to 70, establishing 60 new centers throughout the state.

As part of this initiative, the British Council will supply 3,000 English children's books and offer free access to its digital library resources, allowing rural readers to tap into global knowledge platforms and curated English learning materials.

The partnership agreement was finalized on Thursday, presided over by Karnataka's Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, Priyank Kharge, alongside Deputy High Commissioner Chandru Iyyar.

The agreement was signed by Arundhathi Chandrasekhar, Commissioner of the Karnataka Panchayat Raj Commissionerate, and Janaka Pushpanathan, the British Council Director for South India.

During the event, Minister Kharge remarked that Gram Panchayat libraries have transformed into vibrant knowledge hubs for rural communities across Karnataka.

“These libraries have evolved into Arivu Kendras—centers of learning and curiosity for rural populations. Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, they became crucial learning spaces for children. By offering free membership to youth aged between 6 and 18 years, we have welcomed over five million young readers into this ecosystem,” he stated.

Kharge emphasized that English proficiency is vital for rural youth seeking higher education and job opportunities.

“For many young individuals in rural Karnataka, English language skills open doors to higher education, job prospects, and social advancement. Our collaboration with the British Council makes high-quality English learning resources, books, and digital content more accessible to these learners,” he added.

The Minister highlighted that the success of the initial 10 British Council library corners launched in 2025 motivated the state to broaden the initiative to 70 centers.

Karnataka is also striving to create one of the largest rural knowledge networks in India through its Gram Panchayat libraries.

Currently, 5,884 Gram Panchayat 'Arivu Kendras' are operational across rural Karnataka.

The state government aims to establish approximately 6,600 additional village libraries, thereby expanding the network to over 12,000 rural libraries statewide.

These centers are equipped with computers and internet access, facilitating digital learning resources, online training sessions, and educational programs for students across thousands of villages.

Management of the Gram Panchayat libraries was transitioned from the Department of Public Libraries to the Gram Panchayats under the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department on March 1, 2019. Since then, they have been upgraded to 'Arivu Kendras' that serve as community knowledge hubs offering services like digital learning resources, career guidance, constitutional literacy initiatives, and assistive technologies for persons with disabilities.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the Karnataka Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Department initiated the “Oduva Belaku” program to foster reading among children in the state.

This initiative provided free library memberships to children aged 6 to 18 years, resulting in over five million children currently registered as members of Gram Panchayat Arivu Kendras.

Among those present were Additional Chief Secretary and Development Commissioner Uma Mahadevan, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Secretary Sameer Shukla, Panchayat Raj Secretary Randeep, Panchayat Raj Commissioner Arundhathi Chandrasekhar, British Council India Country Director Alison Barrett, and British Council South Asia Regional Director Helen Silvester.