Amaravati: Ministerfor Education, IT, and Electronics Nara Lokesh announced on Thursday that Amaravati will soon be home to the country’s largest and most modern central library. Spread across two lakh sq. ft., the library is envisioned as a “world-class hub of knowledge” and is slated for completion within a year.

During a state-level review with senior education department officials at his Undavalli residence, Minister Lokesh emphasised the importance of setting new standards for accessing knowledge. He directed officials to also fast-track the construction of a 50,000 sq. ft. regional library at Jagadamba Centre in Visakhapatnam.

The Minister highlighted that approximately Rs 213 crore in cess dues are pending from local bodies and urged officials to recover these funds for funding library development. He instructed them to organise community engagement programs to attract students and to utilize funds allocated under the National Mission for Libraries. He mentioned that the Rajahmundry library has already been sanctioned Rs 87 lakh.

Lokesh pointed to the success of existing government libraries, stating that 350 students who used has their resources this year secured constable jobs. He announced a large-scale campaign to highlight the benefits of libraries and ensure they are stocked with books for competitive exams.

In a major announcement, the Minister stated that the state will now conduct the District Selection Committee (DSC) recruitment drive for teachers every year.

Lokesh urged officials to focus on improving learning outcomes, stating that the reforms implemented over the last 14 months aim to achieve this goal. He also called for urgent measures to improve Andhra Pradesh’s 14th national rank in Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) implementation. “Every child should be given Guaranteed FLN as a right,” he added.

Minister Lokesh announced the release of Rs 325 crore towards the final phase of ‘Talli Ki Vandanam,’ clearing all pending applications. He directed the immediate release of 2024-25 Fee Reimbursement funds. He asked officials to secure land for the newly sanctioned Jawahar Navodaya and Kendriya Vidyalayas with the help of donors.

Furthermore, Lokesh called for greater donor participation to develop critical infrastructure in government and model schools. He wanted officials to create a dedicated platform for philanthropists and corporations to “adopt” schools and provide necessary facilities. He directed the establishment and operation of modernised Science Centres in Anantapur, Nellore, Eluru, Kadapa, and Chittoor. Education Secretary Kona Shashidhar, Commissioner of School Education Vijaya Rama Raju, and others were present at the review.