Mumbai University’s Jawaharlal Nehru Library in shambles

As campus has started bustling with students again with increase in offline lectures, the issue of MU library has again come to the fore. Students have started visiting the library and the situation is getting worse. The building is pretty damaged with cracked walls, and portions of the false ceiling have been falling. One section of the building has been closed entirely because of such hazards. Many books, research papers, newspaper archives used for research by students are gathering dust or rotting in different corners. Following such concerns, senate member Vaibhav Thorat has now written a letter to the Vice Chancellor of Mumbai University.

“This library’s condition has been brought into the spotlight earlier too. Every time varsity has assured that since the new building is ready there is no issue. Soon the entire library was to be shifted to a new structure and this building will go for repair. But these promises have not been acted upon for the past four years, out of which two years are gone in pandemic now,” shared a masters student preferring anonymity.

The library’s C wing was closed in the year 2018 after a few instances of false ceilings coming apart and other issues. In the same year the varsity had first made public their plan of shifting the contents of the library to another building.

“Since then, students have been waiting for this shift. Books, research material, everything that is considered treasure for any library, is unfortunately here their condition is shameful. Archive of old newspapers from over 50 years, which students use for research work, is in such a bad condition that one touch will cause the paper to fall apart. There are big talks of going digital but there is complete apathy on administration’s side when it comes to implementing it here to preserve the knowledge,” said Thorat adding that he had raised this issue several times in the Mumbai University Senate meeting too. “But there was nothing beyond assurances,” he said.

When contacted, the MU administration informed that repair-work has started. Deputy Registrar and PRO Leeladhar Bansod, shared, “Considering the safety, structural audit has been completed of the Jawaharlal Nehru Library. Accordingly, repair-work is going on in phases starting from the D wing of the building which will be followed by the C wing. Meanwhile, repair works on the first floor are going on whereas the ground and mezzanine floor have been repaired.”