Jaipur: A heated exchange erupted between the ruling and Opposition benches in the Assembly Friday during Question Hour over the issue of ‘digital’ and ‘modern’ libraries in the state. The discussion began when MLA Rajendra Gurjar raised a question regarding the establishment of ‘modern’ libraries in schools in the Deoli-Uniara assembly constituency.Responding to the query, education minister Madan Dilawar informed the House that several digital libraries were already set up in the district. Seeking further clarification, Gurjar asked when digital libraries would be established for differently-abled students and those belonging to economically weaker sections. Dilawar replied that a total of 13 digital libraries were operational in the Tonk district, out of which 4 were located in Gurjar’s constituency. The issue took a contentious turn when Deputy Leader of Opposition Ramkesh Meena intervened and asked the minister to define what constituted a “modern library”. In response, Dilawar said that there were no ‘modern libraries’ in the state system at present, and therefore the question of defining or promoting them did not arise. The minister’s remark drew sharp criticism from the opposition benches. Meena taunted the minister, saying he should resign from his post and accusing him of lacking knowledge of the subject. He further alleged that such ignorance was harming the state’s education system. Reacting strongly to the criticism, Dilawar hit back, saying the opposition should read the question properly before raising objections. “You should read something beforehand; this is about digital libraries, not modern libraries,” he said. The sharp exchange between the two leaders triggered a noisy debate in the House, with members from both the ruling and opposition sides joining the argument. The Speaker, Vasudev Devnani, later intervened to restore order in the House and allowed the proceedings to continue. Later, Meena also questioned the reply of social justice minister Avinash Gehlot, arguing that there was no increase in the social security pension figures from 2023 until now. Meena said that the minister was misleading by giving illusory figures. Gehlot said that the BJP govt added 10.50 lakh new people to social security pension from 2023 to 2026, while adding that the figures were not made in his or Meena’s house. “These are govt figures,” he said.
Heated debate in Assembly over digital libraries | Jaipur News
