Amit Shah Inaugurates Tech-Enabled Jayaprakash Narayan Public Library on Udyan Marg
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday inaugurated the tech-enabled Jayaprakash Narayan Public Library on Udyan Marg in Delhi. Built under the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), the new facility blends traditional reading spaces with modern digital resources, offering visitors access to 35,000 physical books and nearly one crore e-books.
The library is spread over two floors and features quiet study corners with blue-coloured cushioned chairs and glass screens to divide readers. The collection includes books on science, mathematics, Indian history, Hindi literature, geography, agriculture, and competitive examinations. The facility also houses a children's zone, research rooms, a contemporary reading area, and an e-library equipped with computer terminals.
According to NDMC Welfare Department Director Anjum Siddiqui, the library is designed to require minimal manual intervention. Visitors can register for membership and issue books using facial recognition technology. Additionally, books are RFID-tagged, allowing members to self-issue them by tapping them at a kiosk.
The library is open to the public. Membership costs Rs 500 annually. NDMC residents are charged a lifetime security deposit of Rs 1,000, while non-residents must pay a deposit of Rs 2,000.
Speaking at the inauguration, Shah emphasized the importance of reading in developing informed opinions. "While one should always think before speaking, one must first read in order to know what to think — and such understanding can only be gained through a library," Shah said.
Pointing to a similar initiative in his Lok Sabha constituency of Gandhinagar, where village libraries are linked to a central hub, Shah urged the Delhi government to prepare a plan to interconnect Delhi's libraries and link them with schools.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, who also attended the event, stated that the library would serve as a valuable resource for local youth and students. She noted that aspirants preparing for the UPSC and other competitive examinations would benefit from the library's academic environment and state-of-the-art study facilities.
