Lok Sabha Question No. 248 (STARRED), answered on 2017-03-20
Subject: Public Libraries
Ministry: CULTURE
Asked by: B. SREERAMULU, B. S. YEDDYURAPPA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CULTURE

## LOK SABHA

## STARRED QUESTION NO.*248 TO BE ANSWERED ON 20 TH  MARCH, 2017

## PUBLIC LIBRARIES

## *248. SHRI B. SRIRAMULU SHRI B.S. YEDIYURAPPA

## Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government  is aware of the pathetic condition of public libraries in the country including Delhi Public Library and Khuda Baksh Oriental Public Library etc.; (b) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor along with the steps taken by the Government to rejuvenate these libraries; (c) whether  the  Government  has  any  roadmap  for  development  of  public library system in the country and allocated separate funds for it and if so, the details thereof; (d) the  details  of  manpower  shortage  in  public  libraries  in  the  country, State/UT-wise  and  remedial  steps  taken  by  the  Government  in  this  regard along  with  the  details  of  the  recruitment  of  trained  library  professionals  for public libraries in the country including those in the libraries in Delhi; and the total number of libraries with internet and modern facilities set up in the country and the Central Assistance provided in this regard during the last three years and the current year, State/UT-wise along with the details of any likely
- (e) enhancement in the Central Assistance in this regard?

## ANSWER

## (DR. MAHESH SHARMA)

## MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR CULTURE & TOURISM

- (a) to (e) : A Statement is laid on the table of the House.

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.248 FOR 20 TH  MARCH, 2017.

(a)  &  (b)  The  condition  of  Libraries  under  Ministry  of  Culture  is  not  pathetic. Every year grant-in-aid general for purchase of books, preservation/conservation, digitization, office expenses etc., grant-in-aid salaries and  grant-in-aid  for  creation  of  capital  assets  is  provided  to  libraries  under Ministry of Culture.

(c)  National  Mission  on  Libraries  has  been  set  up  by  Ministry  of  Culture, Government  of  India,  vide  notification  dated  4 th May,  2012  in  pursuance  of National Knowledge Commission recommendations for sustained attention for development of Libraries and Information science Sector. The President of India launched the National Mission on Libraries (NML) on 3.2.2014. The components of National Mission on Libraries are:-

-  Creation of National Virtual Library of India (NVLI)
-  Setting up of NML Model Libraries
-  Quantitative & Qualitative Survey of Libraries
-  Capacity Building

The total budget allocation for NML is Rs. 400 crores during 12 th Five Year Plan. The purpose of National Virtual Library of India is to facilitate a comprehensive database  of  digital  resources  on  information  about  India  and  on  information generated  in  India,  in  an  open  access  environment.  This  project  has  been entrusted  to  IIT  Bombay.  NVLI  prototype  has  since  been  developed  and contents  are  being  processed  for  uploading.  35  State  Central  Libraries,  35 District  Libraries  and  6  Libraries  under  the  Ministry  of  Culture  are  to  be upgraded as Model Libraries. The Quantitative & Qualitative Survey of Libraries has been undertaken to prepare a baseline data of libraries in India through a survey  of  5000  Libraries.  The  work  is  being  done  by  Indian  Market  Research Bureau  (IMRB).  The  Capacity  Building  has  been  undertaken  to  enhance  the professional  competence  of  library  personnel.  INFLIBNET  has  conducted training in this regard.

Also  Raja  Rammohun  Roy  Library  Foundation  under  its  matching  and  notmatching  schemes  provides  financial  assistance  for  development  of  public libraries for various purposes eg. Books, furniture & equipments, modernization, construction of library buildings,  mobile  library  services,  establishment  of children corner, facilities for specially-abled  readers,  seminars/workshops, training, career guidance etc.

(d) The information is being collected.

(e)  Ministry of Culture does not have any scheme for setting up new libraries. However, under National Mission on Libraries funds have been approved for the modernization of various state and central libraries as per details at Annexure-I. Central Assistance provided by Raja Rammohun Roy Library Foundation during last  three  years  and  current  year  (in  Rupees  in  lakhs)  is  --  Andhra  Pradesh (15.21), Assam (151.79), Gujarat (182.79), Haryana (45.52), Himachal Pradesh (7.14),  Kerala  (4.13),  Maharashtra  (155.01),  Meghalaya  (20.00),  Rajasthan (1.92), Sikkim (17.30), Tamil Nadu (48.00), Uttar Pradesh (23.82), West Bengal (481.58) and Pondicherry (29.88). Apart from that book assistance in the form of supply of books and purchase of books for various State Central Libraries and other  libraries  under  States/UTs  is  also  provided  by  Raja  Rammohun  Roy Library  Foundation.  As  yet  no  enhancement  in  Central  Assistance  during  the current year is proposed.

***

## Annexure - I

## Annexure referred  in  reply  to  Part  (e)  of  the  Starred  Question  No.  *248  for  20.03.2017  on  Public Libraries.

| Sl. No.   | State/UTs         | Library Name                                                              | Approved during the year   |   Amount approved |
|-----------|-------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------|-------------------|
| 1         | ARUNACHAL PRADESH | State Central Library, Itanagar                                           | 2014-15                    |            223    |
| 2         | ARUNACHAL PRADESH | District Library Phasighat                                                | 2014-15                    |             87    |
| 3         | KARNATAKA         | State Central Library, Bangalore                                          | 2014-15                    |            223    |
| 4         | KARNATAKA         | Government District Library, Shimoga                                      | 2014-15                    |             87    |
| 5         | MIZORAM           | State Central Library, Aizwal                                             | 2014-15                    |            100    |
| 6         | MIZORAM           | District Library Building Kolasib.                                        | 2014-15                    |             50    |
| 7         | ORISSA            | State Library Odisha, Bhubaneswar                                         | 2014-15                    |            223    |
| 8         | ORISSA            | District Library, Ganajam Odisha                                          | 2014-15                    |             40.36 |
| 9         | RAJASTHAN         | Dr. Radhakrishnan Rajya Kendriya Pustakalaya, Jaipur                      | 2014-15                    |            183.51 |
| 10        | TRIPURA           | Birchandra State Central Library, Agartala                                | 2014-15                    |            223    |
| 11        | TRIPURA           | Unakoti District Library,Unakoti                                          | 2014-15                    |             87    |
| 12        | UTTAR PRADESH     | State Central Library, Allahabad                                          | 2014-15                    |            206    |
| 13        | UTTAR PRADESH     | Government District Library, Etawah                                       | 2014-15                    |             87    |
| 14        | WEST BENGAL       | West Bengal State Central library, Kolkata                                | 2014-15                    |            222.81 |
| 15        | WEST BENGAL       | North Bengal State Library, Coochbehar                                    | 2014-15                    |             86.98 |
| 16        | TELANGANA         | State Central Library Hyderabad                                           | 2014-15                    |            112.25 |
| 17        | TELANGANA         | District Central Library Mahaboobnagar                                    | 2014-15                    |             52    |
| 18        | ASSAM             | District Library, Jorhat, Assam                                           | 2014-15                    |             40    |
| 19        | ASSAM             | District Library, Guwahati, Assam                                         | 2014-15                    |             70    |
| 20        | CHHATISGARH       | District Library, Dhantawada                                              | 2014-15                    |             87    |
| 21        | CHHATISGARH       | District Library, Raigarh                                                 | 2014-15                    |             87    |
| 22        | GOA               | Krishnadas Shama State Central Library, Panaji                            | 2014-15                    |            223    |
| 23        | GOA               | Dr. Francisco Luis Gomes District Library, Navelin                        | 2014-15                    |             87    |
| 24        | GUJARAT           | State Central Library, Gandhinagar                                        | 2014-15                    |            106.01 |
| 25        | ANDHRA PRADESH    | State Regional Library, Guntur                                            | 2014-15                    |             50    |
| 26        | ANDHRA PRADESH    | Regional Library, Rajamundry                                              | 2014-15                    |             30    |
| 27        | MANIPUR           | State Central Library, Imphal, Mamipur                                    | 2014-15                    |             40    |
| 28        | MANIPUR           | District Library, Senapati, Manipur                                       | 2014-15                    |             20    |
| 29        | TAMIL NADU        | District Library Vellore, Tamil Nadu                                      | 2014-15                    |             90    |
| 30        | TAMIL NADU        | District Library Tiruchiralulli, Tmail Nadu                               | 2014-15                    |             70    |
|           |                   |                                                                           | 2014-15 TOTAL              |           3293.92 |
| 31        | RAJASTHAN         | Sarbajanik Mandal Pustakalaya, Kota                                       | 2015-16                    |             63.46 |
| 32        | KERALA            | State Central Library, Thiruvananthapuram                                 | 2015-16                    |            116.61 |
| 33        | PONDICHERRY       | Romain Rolland Library, Puducherry                                        | 2015-16                    |            166.54 |
| 34        | PONDICHERRY       | Dr. S R Ranganathan Government Public library, District Library, Karaikal | 2015-16                    |             76.04 |
|           |                   | 2015-16 TOTAL                                                             |                            |            422.65 |
| 35        | NAGALAND          | District Library, Dimapur                                                 | 2016-17                    |             73.81 |
| 5(A)      | MIZORAM           | State Central Library, Aizwal, Mizoram                                    | 2016-17                    |             28.7  |
| 36        | MAHARASHTRA       | District Library, Nandurbar, Maharastra                                   | 2016-17                    |             21.9  |
| 37        | SIKKIM            | Sikkim State Central Library                                              | 2016-17                    |              3.02 |
| 38        | MADHYA PRADESH    | Govt. District Library, Khandwa, MP                                       | 2016-17                    |             73.2  |
| 39        | NAGALAND          | State Central Library, Kohima, Nagaland                                   | 2016-17                    |            177.49 |

| TOTAL   | 2016-17     |   378.12 |
|---------|-------------|----------|
|         | GRAND TOTAL |  4094.69 |