New Delhi, Delhi
The Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognizance of the proposal to relocate the 135-year-old Central Secretariat Library (CSL) in New Delhi from Shastri Bhavan. The library is proposed to be shifted because Shastri Bhavan is set to be demolished as part of the Central Vista redevelopment project. The matter will be heard by the Supreme Court on Monday, October 5.
A bench comprising Justice P.V. Sanjay Kumar and Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva will hear the matter. The Central Secretariat Library functions under the Ministry of Culture and is among the country’s important government libraries.
The library was established in 1891 in Calcutta as the Imperial Secretariat Library. After the capital was shifted from Calcutta to Delhi in 1911, the library was also moved to Delhi. It has been housed at Shastri Bhavan since 1969.
The Central Secretariat Library is the second-largest central government library after the National Library in Kolkata. It currently occupies around 5,500 square metres across four floors and houses a collection of more than 8.5 lakh books, along with rare books, government publications, official records and gazettes.
The proposed relocation has become significant given the size and historical importance of the library’s collection. The Ministry of Culture has also reportedly expressed concerns regarding the space being made available for the library.
The Supreme Court’s hearing will consider various aspects of the proposed relocation. A key issue will be how such a large and historically significant collection can be safely preserved while ensuring that adequate space is provided for the library.
