Sri Vijaya Puram, March 13: The Chief Secretary, A&N Administration, Dr. Chandra Bhushan Kumar, IAS, today inaugurated the Mobile Library Van at the picturesque Marina Park arena in the presence of the Secretary (Education), Shri L. Kumar, IAS, Secretary (Vigilance), Shri Neeraj Bharthi, IAS, Secretary (APWD), Ms. Purva Garg, IAS, Officials of Education Department and school children.
In his brief address on the occasion, the Chief Secretary appreciated the effort of Education Department for spreading the concept of Mobile Library in a big way. He said, the inauguration of the Mobile Library is an effort of A&N Administration to inculcate reading habits among children and all other age groups. “It is our effort to reach out to the children and elder people, so that they can take benefit from it”, the Chief Secretary said adding that one of the best habits we can develop in our children is the love for reading books and everyone should take it up as an important duty & responsibility.
The Chief Secretary reiterated that school children should read different kinds of books on diverse subjects, which, he opined, will help them discover their potential & capabilities and also in becoming good human beings. The Chief Secretary desired that Mobile Library should be made available in other Islands too for its wider reach and benefits and it should not be confined to South Andaman District alone.
Welcoming the Chief Secretary and others present on the occasion, the Director of Education, Shri Vikram Singh said that Mobile Library Services is one of the extension services of State Library, which plays a significant role in promoting reading habits in the rural area with facilities. The Directorate of Education has introduced a new halting station for the Mobile Library Van at Marina Park. This initiative aims to provide services to visitors, students, and the general public of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. A collection of approximately 1008 books, including competitive exam books, sports related books, children comics, children short stories, biography, English Fiction, Regional books in different languages, short stories and literature, religion, English short stories, newspaper and periodicals besides books on historical aspects of A&N Islands and a dedicated corner for old age people are available in the mobile library.
The inauguration of the Mobile Library Service at Marina Park marks a significant milestone in the Education Department of Andaman & Nicobar Administration’s efforts to promote literacy and provide access to educational resources for all. This innovative initiative aims to bring books and educational resources to the doorstep, promoting literacy and fostering a love for reading and learning among the community. This initiative will enlighten tourists from across India about the valiant sacrifices of our freedom fighters, as well as the rich history and cultural heritage of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.