Since August 13, 2023, the Book in Hand Campaign (BHC India), initiated by youth leaders under the CELL Foundation, has been redefining access to literature in Delhi‑NCR. Operating six open‑air libraries in parks, DU campuses, and bastis, BHC relies solely on trust no deposits, no library cards, and no overdue fines. Borrowers simply share basic contact info and a belief that stories are meant to be shared. 

Starting with around 200 donated books, BHC now circulates over 2,500 titles across fiction, academic, children’s, and regional literature. To date, more than 5,000 readers — from students to community elders have borrowed books, with loss rates remarkably low at just 3–4%. The initiative has sparked new reading habits, reduced screen time, and offered a free, inclusive space for learning and discussion.

Despite facing weather-related challenges and a continual shortage of Hindi titles, BHC's organic growth underscores its core principle: when you trust people, they respond with trust. Co-founders Pratik and Anurag often remark, “You don’t need walls to build a library sometimes a bench, a few books, and trust is enough”.

What began in Delhi has potential to expand into a national reading movement, rooted in community trust, dignity, and the simple power of a book in someone’s hand.