School Education Department Signs MoU with National Book Trust to Create Institutional Framework for Rashtriya E-Pustakalaya

The Department of School Education signed an Memorandum of Understanding  (MoU) with the National Book Trust to create an institutional framework for the Digital Library Platform, Rashtriya e-Pustakalaya. Secretary of the Department of Higher Education K. Sanjay Murthy said that the Rashtriya e-Pustakalaya will be available round-the-clock, irrespective of the geographic location of the readers, making books more accessible to them. He also added that the problem of last mile presence of a library for many states will be solved with Rashtriya e-Pustakalaya. 

Digital Library Platform

The digital library aims to resolve the ‘last mile’ accessibility issue for many states by offering over 10,000 books in more than 100 languages within the next 2-3 years. Currently, over 1,000 books in 23 languages are available.

Aim of Rashtriya e-Pustakalaya

Rashtriya e-Pustakalaya will feature over 1,000 non-academic titles from more than 40 publishers in 22 languages, besides English. The platform will cater to four age groups (3-8, 8-11, 11-14, and 14-18 years) as per NEP 2020 guidelines, and will be accessible on Android and iOS devices. The library will offer books across multiple genres, fostering cultural awareness and empathy. The initiative, expected to bridge the digital divide, will ensure books are accessible anytime and anywhere, promoting healthy reading habits among youth. The MoU signifies a collaborative effort to improve the educational environment in India.

Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)

A memorandum of understanding, or MOU, is a nonbinding agreement that states each party’s intentions to take action, conduct a business transaction, or form a new partnership. This type of agreement may also be referred to as a letter of intent (LOI) or memorandum of agreement (MOA).