Supreme Court Issues Notice to Centre on Central Vista Library Blueprint

• by Akanksha Mishra
• 2026-10-05 15:02:00

Taking serious judicial note of the condition of irreplaceable archival volumes and historical literature, the Supreme Court of India on Monday, October 5, 2026, issued a formal notice to the Central Government, demanding a comprehensive operational blueprint within three weeks regarding the proposed library under the ongoing Central Vista Redevelopment Project. A bench examining public interest concerns voiced sharp alarm over the preservation of the national collection, highlighting that approximately 200,000 (2 lakh) books have remained locked in cardboard cartons at a storage facility in RK Puram, New Delhi, without being opened since 2011. Seeking definitive answers on structural allocations, the top court appointed senior advocate Hari Priya Padmanabhan to assist the bench as amicus curiae to investigate the spatial feasibility and safety of these invaluable intellectual assets.

Forgotten Heritage: Over 2 Lakh Volumes Packed in RK Puram Cartons for 15 Years

The apex court zeroed in on the prolonged administrative neglect of national literary archives:

Fifteen Years in Cardboard Storage: During the proceedings, the bench expressed deep anguish that over 200,000 books were shifted to the government facility in south Delhi's RK Puram in 2011 and have languished unopened in packed boxes ever since, vulnerable to physical decay, moisture, and pests.

Appointment of Amicus Curiae: To ensure an independent factual assessment of the ground situation, the bench designated senior advocate Hari Priya Padmanabhan to examine storage conditions, catalog verification, and logistical blueprints for proper preservation.

Three-Week Deadline: The court directed the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and relevant project authorities to submit a detailed status affidavit within three weeks explaining the measures taken to safeguard the archived collection.

Spatial Concerns: Will Conference Rooms Squeeze Out Book Stacks in Central Vista?

The bench pressed the central government for detailed structural disclosures regarding the upcoming library complex:

Sufficient Space for Physical Archives: Questioning Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Aishwarya Bhati, who appeared on behalf of the Centre, the court asked whether the designated architectural floor plans in the Central Vista master plan provide sufficient, climate-controlled carpet area to accommodate the existing historical collection alongside newly acquired volumes.

Conflict with Auxiliary Infrastructure: The judges specifically sought clarity on whether ancillary administrative zones—such as expansive conference halls, meeting suites, digital briefing rooms, and executive lounges—are eating into the primary floor space allocated for reading rooms, research cubicles, and book stacks.

Exact Inventory Figures Demanded: The Supreme Court directed the government to place on record the exact size of the existing collection alongside the precise square footage and shelf capacity earmarked in the upcoming library wing.

The Broader Cultural Challenge: Preserving India's Administrative and Legal History

The judicial intervention comes at a critical juncture in the redesign of the national capital's administrative power corridor:

Safeguarding Rare Manuscripts and Documents: The collection in question includes rare colonial-era gazettes, parliamentary reports, historical legal treatises, and sovereign administrative records that serve as irreplaceable resources for legal scholars, researchers, and public administrators.

Modern Digitization Alongside Physical Access: Petitioners have argued that while modernizing institutional infrastructure under the Central Vista initiative is commendable, physical accessibility to original manuscripts and rare books must not be compromised for purely commercial or bureaucratic office modules.

Next Legal Step: With the Supreme Court formally stepping in, the central government's upcoming affidavit will determine whether revised floor layouts or dedicated specialized archival conservation wings will be integrated into the Central Vista library infrastructure.

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