**Summary:**
In response to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1156, addressed on July 28, 2025, the Ministry of Culture addresses the status of library legislation and the management of public library systems in India.
The response confirms that library legislation falls under the State List of the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India, placing administrative control of public libraries with respective State/Union Territory Governments. As per records maintained by the Raja Rammohun Roy Library Foundation (RRRLF), an autonomous organization under the Ministry of Culture, 19 States/Union Territories have enacted library legislation: Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Manipur, Haryana, Kerala, Mizoram, Goa, Gujarat, Odisha, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Arunachal Pradesh, and Telangana.
The Ministry of Culture, through the RRRLF, provides financial assistance for the development of public libraries nationwide via approved Matching and Non-Matching Schemes. Additionally, the National Mission on Libraries (NML) Scheme offers financial support for establishing NML Model Libraries. This includes support for one State Central Library and one District Library in each State/Union Territory, as recommended by the respective State Authorities, alongside six libraries identified by the Ministry.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Culture: A ministry of the Government of India responsible for the preservation and promotion of art and culture.
Raja Rammohun Roy Library Foundation (RRRLF), Kolkata: An autonomous organization under the Ministry of Culture that provides financial assistance for the development of public libraries.
Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India: Defines the allocation of powers and functions between the Union and States. Libraries fall under the State List.
National Mission on Libraries (NML): A scheme under which financial assistance is provided for setting up NML Model Libraries.
Tamil Nadu: A state in India that has enacted library legislation.
West Bengal: A state in India that has enacted library legislation.
Uttar Pradesh: A state in India that has enacted library legislation.
Telangana: A state in India that has enacted library legislation.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF CULTURE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1156
TO BE ANSWERED ON 28.07.2025
LEGISLATION FOR MANAGEMENT
OF PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM
1156. SHRI ESWARASAMY K.
Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state:
a) whether it is a fact that the major States in terms of population have no Library legislation;
b) if so, the details thereof; and
c) the details of the steps taken/being taken by the Government in recent years to have
professionally managed Public Library Systems all over the country?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF CULTURE AND TOURISM
(GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)
(a) to (b) As per the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India, the subject of ‘Libraries’ falls
under the State List, and public libraries function under the administrative control of the
respective State/Union Territory Governments.
As per records available with the Raja Rammohun Roy Library Foundation (RRRLF), Kolkata—
an autonomous organization under the Ministry of Culture—library legislation has so far been
enacted in the following 19 States/Union Territories: Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka,
Maharashtra, West Bengal, Manipur, Haryana, Kerala, Mizoram, Goa, Gujarat, Odisha,
Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Arunachal Pradesh, and Telangana.
(c) The Ministry of Culture, through the Raja Rammohun Roy Library Foundation (RRRLF),
Kolkata—an autonomous organization under the Ministry—provides financial assistance for the
development of public libraries across the country under its approved Matching and Non-
Matching Schemes.
Further, under the National Mission on Libraries (NML) Scheme, financial assistance is
provided for the component ‘Setting up of NML Model Libraries’, which includes support to
one State Central Library and one District Library in each State/Union Territory, as
recommended by the respective State Authorities, in addition to six libraries identified by the
Ministry.