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The Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognisance of concerns over the proposed relocation of the 135-year-old Central Secretariat Library (CSL) in Delhi, which houses more than 8.5 lakh books, including rare publications, manuscripts and official records.

A division bench of Justices Sanjay Kumar and Sanjeev Sachdeva of the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the matter on October 5, amid concerns over the library's future as the government prepares to demolish Shastri Bhawan under the Central Vista redevelopment project.

The Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), meanwhile, has said that accommodation for the library has been earmarked under the Central Vista redevelopment plan, stating that the process for constructing the facility is underway.

“Contrary to a few reports, it is clarified that space for the Central Secretariat Library has been provided for in the Kartavya Path redevelopment plan. The necessary process for construction of the library is underway,” the ministry said in a post on X on Thursday.

The clarification came after The Indian Express reported on Wednesday that the institution was facing uncertainty over its relocation, with only two rooms allotted to it at the Kartavya Bhawan-2 complex. The ministry had not responded to requests for comment at the time of the report.

The MoHUA had directed all ministries to vacate Shastri Bhawan by the end of September to facilitate the building's demolition and redevelopment.

According to the report, the housing and urban affairs ministry had written to the Culture Ministry, which administers the library, on January 16, informing it that two rooms had been allocated at Kartavya Bhawan-2. In its response dated February 26, the Culture Ministry said the proposed accommodation was “inadequate to accommodate the full collection and facilities”. It also stated that “complete relocation is not feasible.”

Spread across four floors and covering approximately 5,500 square metres, the Central Secretariat Library holds a collection of over 8.5 lakh books, alongside rare books, manuscripts, government records and gazetteers. The proposed shift has raised questions about accommodating its extensive collection and associated facilities.

The institution's origins date back to 1891, when it was established in Kolkata as the Imperial Secretariat Library. It was subsequently transferred to Delhi in 1911, following the British government's decision to move the country's capital.

After the construction of North Block in the 1930s, the library was housed there before being shifted to Shastri Bhawan in 1969. Its proposed relocation has now brought the future of the historic institution into focus as the Central Vista redevelopment proceeds.