OUP India establishes 100 libraries for underprivileged children
Earlier this year, Oxford University Press India partnered with the National Book Trust (NBT), an organization under India’s Ministry of Education, to establish libraries across 100 Anganwadi centres in Uttar Pradesh—50 each in the Lucknow and Gorakhpur districts.
This initiative is designed to nurture a lifelong love for reading and make learning an engaging, everyday experience for children in their foundational years, aligning with India’s National Education Policy (NEP 2020).
The libraries were formally announced by the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath, during the state book fairs—first in Lucknow in September and most recently in Gorakhpur. On both occasions, the Chief Minister congratulated dedicated Anganwadi workers and commended OUP India’s commitment to fostering reading habits among early learners.
Anganwadis are rural childcare centres under India’s Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) programme. They provide essential services such as early childhood education, nutrition, health check-ups, and immunization for children under six years of age, playing a critical role in supporting learning and development in underserved communities.
Each of the 100 Anganwadi centres is equipped with dedicated book racks containing a curated collection of nearly 350 books. These include colourful picture books and engaging content on alphabets, numbers, colours, shapes, and storytelling—designed to spark curiosity, foster creativity, and integrate reading into children’s daily routines. The initiative aims to make reading approachable and exciting, foster a lifelong love for books, and embed reading as a natural part of daily life.
We are proud to support the initiative as part of our global mission to make education and learning accessible to communities worldwide.
Sukanta Das, Managing Director of Oxford University Press India
“We believe that books have the power to change lives, and our mission has always been to make high-quality learning resources accessible to every child. This collaborative initiative with the National Book Trust India, supported by the Government of Uttar Pradesh, reflects our commitment to promoting literacy and social development. These libraries are more than just collections of books—they are gateways to imagination, knowledge, and lifelong learning.”
Yuvraj Malik, Director of the National Book Trust, added:
“We were delighted to collaborate with Oxford University Press India to make books more accessible to children in Uttar Pradesh. The libraries at Anganwadi centres will play a crucial role in nurturing reading habits among children, in alignment with NBT’s vision of fostering a reading culture across India. We believe this initiative will have a transformative impact on their cognitive and emotional development.”
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