Governor Varma launches Grandhalayala Deepti

The Governor of Telangana, Jishnu Dev Varma, launched Grandhalayala Deepti at the iconic State Central Library on the Foundation Day of the National Service Scheme (NSS).
Grandhalayala  Deepti is an initiative of the State NSS Nodal Officer and Principal Secretary to the Governor, Burra Venkatesham, IAS.
The programme aims to revitalise 670 public libraries, 1,000 private libraries and 2,000 educational institution libraries across Telangana.
NSS volunteers from universities and colleges will participate in cleaning, restoring damaged books and organising libraries. A special Book Doctor corner will also be set up to support students preparing for competitive exams.
During the event, the Governor emphasized that the revival of libraries requires the active involvement of youth and not just financial investment.
“By restoring books, we are bringing the past into the future,” he said, linking the Book Doctors initiative to the Sustainable Development Goals and underscoring the lasting importance of physical books in the digital age.
“Today’s youth are constantly reading – whether through Facebook, Instagram, or e-books. Reading is inevitable, regardless of the medium,” he said while underscoring the enduring value of physical books and the exposure they provide.
Speaking on the initiative, Burra Venkatesham stated, “We are organizing this programme as a movement to highlight the importance of libraries and improve them. Even in this mobile phone age, libraries are crucial for success in competitive exams and overall learning.” The initiative will run for six months and will extend to district and mandal libraries, with help from the Education Department, Raj Bhavan and NSS funds. The event was attended by dignitaries like Dr MD Riyaz, the Chairman of the Telangana Grandhalaya Parishad and EV Narasimha Reddy, IAS, the Director of Public Libraries, and senior Raj Bhavan officers Bhavani Shankar and Pallavi.