Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah inaugurated the Jayaprakash Narayan Library in New Delhi on July 11, 2026. The event was attended by Delhi Chief Minister Smt. Rekha Gupta, Delhi Government Minister Shri Parvesh Verma, Chairman of the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) Shri Keshav Chandra, and other dignitaries.
The library is dedicated to Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan and features substantial resources including over 32,000 physical books and access to one crore free e-books. The facility includes dedicated research facilities, a modern multi-purpose auditorium, contemporary reading areas, a children's zone, research centre, and e-library with free Wi-Fi throughout. The library employs a state-of-the-art RFID-based book management system and will be connected to the National Digital Library of India through the OPAC (Online Public Access Catalogue). Several monitors have been installed to enable visitors to take notes, download material, and develop ideas while studying.
Shah emphasized the importance of libraries in nation-building, stating that a nation's future is shaped by young people gathering in libraries rather than markets or industries alone. He urged the Delhi Government to interconnect all libraries across the city and formulate a comprehensive plan to link them with schools. He specifically appealed to the library staff to reach out to all schools in the ten Assembly constituencies surrounding New Delhi and motivate young people to visit.
The Home Minister shared details of his initiative in Gandhinagar constituency where every village has been provided with a library connected to a central network housing over 1.25 lakh books, with four mobile library vans deployed. Children can request any book by writing its title, and requested books are delivered to their villages every Friday.
Shah highlighted the historical significance of Jayaprakash Narayan, noting his role in the Quit India Movement, founding the Socialist Congress, spreading Vinoba Bhave's Bhoodan Movement, and persuading over 200 dacoits in the Chambal region to surrender. He particularly emphasized JP's opposition to the Emergency, his leadership of student movements in Bihar and Gujarat, and his historic call for 'Sampoorna Kranti' from Gandhi Maidan in Bihar. Shah noted that during the Emergency when opposition leaders were imprisoned and newspapers censored, the slogan 'Andhere Mein Ek Prakash, Jayaprakash' became a beacon of hope, ultimately leading to the then Prime Minister's defeat from Rae Bareli in the 1977 general elections.