PN Panicker’s birthplace in Kottayam to inspire learning as Knowledge Centre

Changanassery: The ancestral home of PN Panicker, the visionary who sparked the library movement in Kerala, will soon be transformed into a knowledge centre.

The aim is to create a space where villagers can learn modern technology and gain skills that improve their employment opportunities. The original house, located at Neelamperoor village, will be preserved in its authentic form, complete with its tiled roof, while a new four-storey building will rise on concrete pillars coming up on either side of the old structure.

The centre is scheduled to be inaugurated on March 1, 2026, which marks the 117th birth anniversary of PN Panicker. The upcoming facility will host a wide range of activities, including science awareness programmes, employment-related training, medical camps, trade fairs featuring Kudumbashree products, village-level sports and arts festivals, computer learning, drone operation training, distance education centres, coaching for competitive examinations and workshops on scientific farming methods.

According to N Balagopal, vice chairman of the PN Panicker Foundation, the project is being developed with the support of the Union Ministry of Information Technology, the state government, the PN Panicker Foundation and the Kottayam Public Library.

Knowledge centres linked to village libraries are being set up across the country under the central government’s initiative. The plan aims to establish one thousand such centres nationwide by 2027.

Kottayam Public Library president Abraham Itticheria presided over the meeting held to discuss the project. N Balagopal, Sojan Jose, V B Binu, N Aravindakshan Nair, Vijayakumar, Krishnakumar, Raju Eapen and Neelamperoor Saji spoke at the event.