Stories
Delhi's Central Library Faces Homelessness: 8.5 Lakh Books, 135-Year Legacy at Risk
- •Delhi's Central Secretariat Library, housing 8.5 lakh books and a 135-year legacy, faces displacement due to the Central Vista Project.
- •The Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognizance, issuing a notice to the central government and seeking a response within three weeks.
- •The library needs to be shifted from Shastri Bhawan, but adequate space has not been allocated, raising concerns about its future.
- •It is one of India's oldest knowledge repositories, established in 1891 and recognized under the Imperial Library Act in 1901.
- •The library holds 6500 rare documents, some predating 1702, making it a crucial historical and cultural heritage.
Key Questions Answered
The Central Secretariat Library must be relocated because Shastri Bhawan, its current home, is scheduled for demolition under the Central Vista Redevelopment Project to build modern office complexes for centralized ministries. However, the library has not yet been allocated adequate space to accommodate its massive collection.
The library originated from collections gathered in Kolkata's Writers' Building, which later became the Imperial Library under the Imperial Library Act of 1901. Following the transfer of the capital to Delhi in 1911, its records eventually moved to Delhi and were officially renamed the Central Secretariat Library in 1948.
The Supreme Court registered a suo motu case and issued a notice to the central government regarding the lack of proper relocation space under the Central Vista project. The apex court has given the government three weeks to respond and scheduled the next hearing for October 16.
