Supreme Court seeks government plan for proposed Central Secretariat Library move

India’s Supreme Court has sought a detailed response from the Union government over the proposed relocation of the Central Secretariat Library in Delhi. A Bench of Justices Sanjay Kumar and Sanjeev Sachdeva directed Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, representing the Union government, to file an affidavit within three weeks. The affidavit must set out the arrangements made for the library.

The court’s intervention concerns plans to move the institution as part of the Central Vista redevelopment project. Reports cited in the proceedings said the library, housed in Shastri Bhawan, had been directed to vacate the premises by September 30 after an order issued on September 17. The library occupies four floors and nearly 5,500 square metres of Shastri Bhawan.

It holds more than 8.5 lakh books, including rare volumes, official records and gazetteers. Government officials and students preparing for competitive examinations regularly use the collection. During the hearing, the Bench questioned whether the proposed provision of two rooms in Kartavya Bhavan would be adequate for a collection of the library’s age and size.

The judges noted that the institution dates from 1891 and includes writings from 1802. The Central Secretariat Library was originally established in Calcutta as the Imperial Secretariat Library. After the capital of British India was moved to Delhi in 1911, it was transferred to the Old Secretariat Building in Civil Lines.

It was later moved to North Block and then to Shastri Bhawan, where it has remained since 1969. The court’s order seeks details about the proposed arrangements, but the supplied material does not state whether the relocation has been suspended or identify a final alternative site.