Shastri Bhawan to be demolished, 135-year-old Central Secretariat Library still has no new home

The Central Secretariat Library, housed in Delhi's Shastri Bhawan, is considered the country's second-largest government library. It now faces a big question: where will its books be kept?

The reason is the Central Vista Redevelopment Project, under which the Shastri Bhawan building has been marked for demolition. The administration had directed all departments to vacate Shastri Bhawan by the end of September.

The other government offices have been shifted to new locations. But no permanent or sufficiently large space has yet been found for this historic library.

The library is about 135 years old. With no new premises of its own, the future of the lakhs of precious and rare books it holds is in question. It could be a major blow to thousands of students and researchers who depend on it daily for their studies and research.

The crisis is all the more serious because the four-storey library spreads over about 5,500 square metres. It holds more than 8.5 lakh books, rare papers and historical government documents. Records of government work and history from the British era to independent India today are preserved here. The space needed to safely keep so many records and books has not been found for now.

The library is not used only by government officials. Hundreds of students preparing for the UPSC and other competitive examinations come here to study every day. With its quiet atmosphere and books on every subject, it was nothing short of a boon for them. With the library being shifted, their daily study is at risk of disruption.

It is being said that the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs is looking for a new location. But until a firm and safe site is decided, uncertainty will remain over the future of the 135-year-old library. Students and experts are demanding that the government take concrete steps at the earliest to save this historic heritage.