In Nani Bhatlav village of Gujarat’s Surat district,one study space started during Covid-19 pandemic has slowly become real support system for students preparing for competitive examinations.
And what makes it more interesting is that it did not begin as some fancy project. In 2021,village’s young sarpanch,Ankit Chaudhary,started it from one rundown community hall only . Basic idea was simple: local youth needed proper place to sit,study and prepare,especially those who could not access good study facilities .
But then support came through state government’s Vatan Prem Yojana and donation of ₹7 lakh from NRI Pratap Pandya . Because of that,project grew from old hall into new two-storey building . Not small thing ah,especially for village students who are trying for government recruitment and various competitive exams.
Now library gives free access to books,seating and WiFi for online studies,and it stays open round clock . That 24-hour part is actually big because many students study at odd hours,after household work or travel from nearby places.
According to Nishchal Chaudhary,student from nearby Vadhvaniya,place has become almost necessary for aspirants. He said,“The library is extremely useful. Since I joined, it has remained open 24 hours a day, with no charges. All necessary study materials are provided.”
Few things standing out clearly here:
- 24/7 access to study resources — Students benefit from free resources at any time.
- Transportation arrangements — The library facilitates travel for students to examination centres.
- Hostel construction underway — Plans are in place to support students from distant villages.
And students are not just sitting there with books. Library is also conducting test sessions that copy real exam conditions,which matters a lot because exam pressure is different when clock is running . Shweta Chaudhary,another user of facility,said,“We have a 24-hour free seating option for both girls and boys, and all necessary books are available whenever needed.”
Right now,library can accommodate up to 123 students at a time,and it is receiving daily visitors from 15 to 20 villages . Local authorities say over 100 students come there each day,which shows this is not just symbolic setup but actually being used heavily.
And with hostel construction underway,students coming from far-off areas may soon get place to stay also,so studies do not get disturbed because of distance and travel . Many students who used this library over years have already got jobs in government and private sectors .
But bigger thought is this only… if one village library can change study culture for so many students,how many more places are still waiting for same kind of push…
