The Ministry of Culture provided details about library development programs in India through a written reply in Rajya Sabha. Libraries are a state subject under the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution, with public libraries functioning under State/Union Territory authorities.
The Raja Rammohun Roy Library Foundation (RRRLF), an autonomous organization under the Ministry of Culture, implements schemes for promotion and development of public libraries across the country. RRRLF provides financial assistance for infrastructure development, library services, reading resources, and capacity building through both Matching and Non-matching schemes. This support covers construction/renovation of library buildings, procurement of books and reading materials, purchase of furniture and equipment, and improvement of library infrastructure. Assistance is also provided for strengthening ICT-enabled library services and digitization of copyright-free manuscripts, rare documents, and other heritage materials where admissible under scheme guidelines.
RRRLF promotes sharing of best practices through interactions with State Library Authorities, workshops, seminars, conferences, and meetings of State Library Planning Committees to improve library service quality nationwide.
The Ministry also implements the National Mission on Libraries (NML) Scheme, which provides financial assistance through the Setting up of NML Model Library component to one State Central Library and one District Library in each State/UT (as recommended by State Authorities), plus six libraries identified by the Ministry of Culture.
Under the NML Scheme, the Ministry has implemented the National Virtual Library of India (NVLI) through the Indian Culture Portal (www.indianculture.gov.in). The NVLI aims to provide a platform for digital preservation of diverse cultural artefacts and create awareness and collective ownership among citizens about their shared heritage.
The National Archives of India (NAI) under the Ministry of Culture has digitized approximately 19.7 crore pages, with the digital repository currently hosting around 74.7 lakh reference media files accessible through the Abhilekh Patal portal (https://www.abhilekh-patal.in).