In Bihar, libraries as windows to the world 

Bihar's Didi ki Libraries provide free books, internet, and support for rural students aspiring for higher education and careers.

Harsh Kumar, 22, is studying for a BTech degree in Gaya College, one of Bihar’s premier institutions. A resident of Amhara village, on the outskirts of Patna, Bihar’s capital, nearly 45 kilometres from the city centre, Kumar’s father is a small farmer, and the family struggles to eke out a living. After he graduated from the government-run Amhara High School, he wanted to work towards a degree in engineering, but there were hardly any books available to crack the Bihar Combined Entrance Competitive Examination for admission to various professional courses. “I simply couldn’t afford the books to study from. If it wasn’t for the Didi ki Library I would not be in this course,” Kumar says.

Started last year by the Bihar government, Community Library and Career Development Centres (CLCDC), across 100 blocks in the State, are known as Didi ki Libraries (roughly translating to a library run by an older sister). The free-of-cost libraries, in 32 districts out of 38, are a boon for children who come from families who cannot afford books. The library offers free internet services and a quiet space for children to study and for the youth to meet and exchange ideas.

Patna district has four such libraries, in Bihta, Khusrupur, Fatuha, and Bakhtiyarpur, all in rural areas. Across Bihar, Didi ki Libraries have a 6,000-strong sitting capacity while the total enrolment is at 1.1 lakh, of which 63% are girls. There is a daily footfall of 60-70 learners, as per JEEViKA, an initiative under the Bihar government’s Rural Development Department, to promote rural livelihood.

The World Bank-supported JEEViKA runs the Didi ki Libraries, with each headed by a Vidya Didi, a dedicated cadre of community workers. The Education Department supports the initiative by providing books.

Rinku Kumari, 21, graduated in 2024 with a degree in History from Mahant Madhusudan College in Patna. She spends five to six hours in the library every day. “I want to clear the UPSC (Union Public Services Commission) exam, and I cannot afford the tuition fee for a coaching institute,” she says.

Coaching institutes can cost anywhere from ₹5,000 a month. The average farmer’s income in 2021-22 in Bihar was ₹9,252 against the national average of ₹13,661, as per the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development.

In Amhara, she finds books that will help her through the entrance exam that at least 10 lakh people from across India write each year, for just a little over 1,000 posts. She admits that the books are limited, but says, “With the WiFi I am able to download free books online.”