Pune Zilla Parishad to transform community halls into knowledge centres and libraries

Pune Zilla Parishad has 1,300 community halls across various villages, and in the financial year 2023-24, 350 of these halls were converted into Gyan Mandirs. For 2024-25, another 237 community halls are being transformed, and for 2025-26, the goal is to repurpose an additional 400 halls.

Each Gyan Mandir is equipped with two tables, 10 chairs, cupboards, and two sets of 126 books each, focused on current affairs, history and social reformers. Additionally, each library is provided with a computer to introduce digital literacy to rural areas.

After the overwhelming response from villagers, Pune Zilla Parishad is now exploring the possibility of turning some of these libraries into computer training centres based on population size and demand in each village.

Gajanan Patil, CEO of Pune ZP, said, “Our goal is to make these Gyan Mandirs the knowledge hubs of their respective villages. Libraries will remain free, but computer training will have nominal charges for certification. The entire project is expected to be completed within the next three months”.

Pune Zilla Parishad is in talks with Maharashtra Knowledge Corporation Limited (MKCL) to facilitate skill development programmes, including the MS-CIT certification course. These courses will be offered at minimal fees, ensuring that students gain essential computer skills required for job applications, distant learning, and other necessities such as filling out examination forms.

In the community-driven approach, volunteers from the villages will manage the libraries, while overall supervision will be conducted by the gram sevak of the respective villages. This ensures that villagers develop a sense of ownership and responsibility for the initiative rather than perceiving it as a government-imposed project.

“We have designed this initiative with a demand-driven approach. This ensures that the community is actively involved, making it a sustainable project,” said Radhakishan Devdhe, District Social Welfare Officer.

Pune Zilla Parishad has allocated nearly Rs 2 lakh per community hall for its transformation into a Gyan Mandir. Additionally, if a community hall requires structural repairs or lacks basic infrastructure, an extra Rs 1 lakh is provided based on the condition of the property

The idea for this initiative was conceptualised by Chandrakant Waghmare, Additional CEO, Pune Zilla Parishad, who emphasised the need to repurpose community halls for educational purposes. “We observed that these community halls were not being utilized effectively. Transforming them into centres of knowledge and learning will create long-term benefits for rural areas,” Waghmare said.

Divyaja Kalyankar is an intern with The Indian Express.