The Central University of Karnataka (CUK) has teamed up with Kalike, a Tata Trusts initiative, to boost early childhood education in rural Karnataka. On February 5, both signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening early learning and building child-friendly libraries and schools in villages. After the MoU, a one-day training was held at the CUK campus for gram panchayat librarians from Koppal and Yadgir districts. The training focused on managing libraries that support children's learning beyond textbooks. CUK Vice-Chancellor Battu Satyanarayana said early childhood education is key to a child's growth. He stressed the importance of strong foundational learning for better future results. "The National Education Policy has rightly given special emphasis to early childhood education. Gram Panchayat libraries, anganwadi centres and schools play a vital role in this phase. CUK will extend full academic and institutional support to all initiatives under this MoU," he said. He added that CUK’s faculty and students will work actively to improve rural education. He called for creative and engaging curricula to help villages grow, saying, "When education improves, villages develop, contributing to a Viksit Bharat." Kalike Executive Director Shivakumar D. said Tata Trusts have served India for over 120 years. He said the main challenge is the lack of reading materials beyond textbooks in rural areas. "Libraries can serve as powerful complementary learning spaces. We have developed innovative and engaging books to make learning interesting for children," he explained. Shivakumar also highlighted that gram panchayat librarians often lack formal training. Kalike has designed a short-term certificate course to improve library management and create child-friendly libraries. Two pilot courses are running, with plans to expand based on results. He noted that Karnataka’s gram panchayat libraries are doing better than those in many other states. CUK Registrar R. R. Biradar said poor SSLC and PUC exam results in the Kalyana Karnataka region show gaps in education quality. He said strengthening libraries, anganwadi centres, and schools through training is essential to fix this. Programme Coordinator Mayur Pujar detailed four focus areas under the MoU: launching a certificate course for child-friendly libraries, joint research on best teaching methods, faculty exchanges between Kalike and CUK, and cross-learning for B.Ed and M.Ed students. A training manual for gram panchayat librarians was released at the event. The programme was attended by faculty, Tata Trusts representatives, librarians from Koppal and Yadgir, and students.