SC to hear suo motu case over relocation of 135-year-old Central Secretariat Library

The Supreme Court is examining the proposed relocation of the Central Secretariat Library during the Central Vista redevelopment. It wants to consider what will happen to the library, its collection and its users after the reported vacate order. The library is one of India’s oldest government libraries and holds more than 8.5 lakh books.

The Central Public Works Department ordered the library and other Ministries in Shastri Bhawan to remove furniture, electronic equipment and other items. They were asked to hand over vacant premises for demolition and reconstruction. The court’s case is titled ‘In Re: 135-Yr-Old Library 8.5 Lakh Books– And No Room In The New Central Vista Plan’.

The Supreme Court Registry said the Chief Justice of India directed registration of a fresh suo motu writ petition. The case was registered on October 3 and will be heard by Justices Sanjay Kumar and Sanjeev Sachdeva. The Ministry says space has been provided in the Kartavya Path redevelopment plan, but it has not disclosed the location.

Suo motu means “on its own motion.” For the Supreme Court, taking a matter suo motu means beginning judicial proceedings without waiting for an affected person or organisation to file an ordinary petition. The court can respond to reports or circumstances that appear to raise an important public issue.

In this case, the Registry said the competent authority, identified as the Chief Justice of India, directed registration of a fresh suo motu writ petition. The case concerns the proposed relocation of the Central Secretariat Library and the reported order requiring it to leave Shastri Bhawan before redevelopment work.

This process brings the issue before the court for examination. It does not itself decide that the relocation is unlawful or determine where the library must move. The case was registered on October 3 and listed for hearing before Justices Sanjay Kumar and Sanjeev Sachdeva on October 5, 2026.

The Central Secretariat Library has more than 8.5 lakh books, a collection large enough to serve officials, researchers and students preparing for competitive examinations. Its importance is not measured only by the number of books. It also contains rare volumes, official records and gazetteers.

The collection occupies four floors and nearly 5,500 square metres of Shastri Bhawan. Government officials regularly use its materials, while students also depend on the library for preparation. This combination gives the library a working role in government and education, rather than making it merely a storage facility.

The library itself is 135 years old. It was established in 1891 as the Imperial Secretariat Library, when it was located in Calcutta. Its long institutional history, rare holdings and continuing users explain why its proposed relocation has attracted Supreme Court attention. The court is examining the situation while the Ministry says replacement space has been provided.

Vacating the building before a new facility is ready could interrupt access to more than 8.5 lakh books, rare volumes, official records and gazetteers. The library is regularly used by government officials and students preparing for competitive examinations, so a gap could affect both official work and study.

The vacate order required furniture, electronic equipment and other items to be removed before the premises were handed over for demolition and reconstruction. That means the library would need a safe, organised way to move and store its collection, while preserving access to materials that users may need. The article does not say that any books have been damaged or lost.

The immediate uncertainty is the timing and location of a replacement facility. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs says space has been provided in the Kartavya Path redevelopment plan and that construction is being processed. It has not disclosed where the library will be housed, leaving the court to examine the transition.

The Central Vista redevelopment project is a plan to rebuild and reorganise government buildings and related public spaces in the central government district. The article links the project to the proposed relocation of the Central Secretariat Library, which currently occupies part of Shastri Bhawan.

The mechanism is direct: the Central Public Works Department ordered the library and other Ministries in Shastri Bhawan to remove furniture, electronic equipment and other items. They were told to hand over vacant possession so demolition and reconstruction work could begin. The library occupies four floors of the complex.

The redevelopment matters because the library’s existing premises may no longer remain available during construction. Reports said no library space had been allocated in the new plan, prompting Supreme Court intervention. The Ministry later said space had been provided in the Kartavya Path redevelopment plan and that construction was underway, but it did not identify the location.

The Central Secretariat Library was established in 1891 in what was then Calcutta. It was known as the Imperial Secretariat Library. Its history follows major changes in the location of India’s central administration and shows how the institution adapted while retaining its government-library role.

After the decision in 1911 to shift the capital of British India to Delhi, the library moved to the Old Secretariat Building in Civil Lines. It was later shifted again, this time to North Block. These moves placed the collection alongside changing administrative centres.

The library subsequently moved to Shastri Bhawan, where it has remained since 1969. Today, it occupies four floors and nearly 5,500 square metres and contains more than 8.5 lakh books. Its proposed relocation during redevelopment has therefore raised questions about continuity, access and the care of a collection built over 135 years.

Government libraries matter because they preserve materials created or collected through public administration. Official records, gazetteers and rare volumes can document institutions, places and decisions across time. Keeping them together also gives officials and researchers a reliable place to consult public knowledge.

The Central Secretariat Library shows this role in practice. It houses more than 8.5 lakh books, including rare volumes, official records and gazetteers. Government officials regularly access the collection, while students preparing for competitive examinations also use it. Its value therefore extends beyond storage or historical symbolism.

The proposed move matters because a functioning library needs both protected collections and usable access. The reported order required the Shastri Bhawan premises to be emptied for demolition and reconstruction. The Ministry says replacement space has been provided in the redevelopment plan, but the location remains undisclosed. The Supreme Court is examining the issue as the transition approaches.