PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Dehradun
With an objective to solve the problem of shortage of quality books and to promote digital learning, the Higher Education department of the State has decided to implement the ‘Swami Vivekananda Uttarakhand e-Library Scheme’ in all the State universities, affiliated colleges and the aided colleges.
The Higher Education minister Dhan Singh Rawat said that under the scheme, the students and teachers will access textbooks, books by eminent authors, research papers and other digital content, including newspapers, magazines and reports at the click of the mouse in an integrated online platform.
He said that the objective of the e-library system is to provide quality education to remote areas of the State, ensuring that no student is deprived of books due to economic or geographical constraints. The minister added that the e-library scheme will benefit students from both rural and urban areas, allowing them to easily access subject-specific books at their convenience.
Rawat said that the other departments including Technical Education, AYUSH, Medical Education and private universities and colleges will also be able to take benefit of this scheme.
For the facility of e-library, every university will have to pay a minimum annual fee of Rs five lakh, whereas for other departments and research institutes including private and non-government aided colleges, a fee of Rs. one lakh per year or Rs 500 to each stakeholder will have to be paid. The minister said that the officers have been directed to make the system of e-library simple, useful and student-friendly.
He said that in accordance with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, digital learning is being promoted in the State’s higher education system.
