Supreme Court presses Centre on fate of historic Delhi library

The Supreme Court bench of Justices Sanjay Kumar and Sanjeev Sachdeva on Monday issued notice to the Centre, directing it to submit a comprehensive affidavit detailing the space allocation and layout plans for the library's relocation. The Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati represented the government in the proceedings.

The court's intervention comes amid growing concern over the institution's future. The library, housed on four floors of Shastri Bhawan since 1969, currently holds an extensive collection serving government officials and researchers. However, according to recent reports, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has allocated only two rooms in the Kartavya Bhawan-2 complex for the library under the new Central Vista Plan.

The suo moto case, formally titled "In Re: 135-yr-old library, 8.5 lakh books-and no room in the new Central Vista plan," highlights the tension between urban redevelopment priorities and the preservation of institutional heritage. The court's demand for detailed documentation suggests it intends to examine whether adequate provisions have been made for one of Delhi's significant knowledge repositories during the ongoing Central Vista redevelopment.

The Central Secretariat Library has functioned as a critical resource for government research and policy formulation for over a century. The apparent inadequacy of proposed space in the new complex has raised questions about the government's commitment to maintaining the library's operational capacity and accessibility.