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Supreme Court Gives Centre Three Weeks to Clarify Space for 8.5 Lakh Books in Central Vista Project
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CNBC TV18•05-10-2026, 17:44
Supreme Court Gives Centre Three Weeks to Clarify Space for 8.5 Lakh Books in Central Vista Project
- •The Supreme Court has directed the Centre to submit a detailed reply within three weeks regarding space arrangements for the 135-year-old Central Secretariat Library under the Central Vista redevelopment project.
- •The court raised concerns over whether the proposed facility will have adequate space to accommodate over 8.5 lakh books, rare documents, and official records currently housed in Shastri Bhavan.
- •During the hearing, it was revealed that approximately two lakh books have been packed in cartons in RK Puram and left unopened since 2011.
- •Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati informed the court that a larger library space spread across two floors is being planned to replace the existing structure.
- •The Supreme Court appointed senior advocate Hari Priya Padmanabhan to assist in the case and scheduled the next hearing for November 16.
Key Questions Answered
The Supreme Court has given the Centre three weeks to submit a detailed reply concerning the space available for housing its 8.5 lakh books under the Central Vista redevelopment project.
Around two lakh books belonging to the Central Secretariat Library are currently packed in cartons in RK Puram and have remained unopened since 2011.
The Central Secretariat Library was originally established in 1891 and was eventually shifted to Shastri Bhavan in New Delhi in 1969.
