LUCKNOW, Dec. 18 -- The Yogi Adityanath government has unveiled a plan to set up digital libraries in gram panchayats across Uttar Pradesh, aimed at transforming village institutions into local centres of learning and digitally empowering rural youth preparing for competitive examinations. Panchayati Raj minister Om Prakash Rajbhar said the scheme would bridge the education gap between villages and cities. "By making panchayats centres of education, we are creating opportunities for rural youth to access quality learning and competitive exam preparation within their own villages," he said. In the first phase, digital libraries will be established in 11,350 gram panchayats for Rs 4 lakh per unit. Each library will offer e-books, video and audio lectures, quizzes, and nearly 20,000 digital academic resources. The project seeks to strengthen panchayats as knowledge centres while expanding digital access for rural talent. Book selection has been completed in 35 districts, including Lucknow, and the libraries are expected to become operational soon. Panchayati Raj director Amit Kumar Singh said the rollout would take place in phases across all districts. He added that gram pradhans and secretaries would oversee operations, while assistant officers would carry out regular monitoring....