PTC Web Desk:  The Central Government has introduced significant symbolic changes by renaming several key institutions as part of a broader cultural shift. The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) will now be called ‘Seva Teerth’, while all Raj Bhavans across the country will be renamed ‘Lok Bhavan’. The Central Secretariat will now be known as ‘Kartavya Bhavan’.

According to information, officials from the PMO stated that this transition reflects a move “from power to service,” emphasising that the changes are not merely administrative but cultural in nature.

This is not the first such renaming initiative. Earlier, the Rajpath in New Delhi was renamed Kartavya Path, and in 2016, the Prime Minister’s official residence, formerly Race Course Road, was renamed Lok Kalyan Marg.

The Ministry of Home Affairs cited discussions held during last year’s Governors’ Conference, noting that the term Raj Bhavan represents a colonial mindset. To break away from that legacy, the offices and residences of Governors and Lieutenant Governors will now be known as Lok Bhavan and Lok Niwas, respectively.

PMO to shift out of 78-year-old South Block

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s office, which currently operates from the historic South Block, will soon relocate to the newly constructed Seva Teerth campus. This shift is a major component of the ongoing Central Vista Redevelopment Project. On 14 October, Cabinet Secretary TV Somanathan had already chaired a high-level meeting with service chiefs at Seva Teerth-2.

What will Seva Teerth include?

Seva Teerth-1: Office of the Prime Minister

Seva Teerth-2: Cabinet Secretariat

Seva Teerth-3: Office of the National Security Advisor (NSA)

What is Central Vista project?

The Central Vista Project aims to redevelop the entire stretch from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate. The plan includes constructing a new Parliament building, a unified Central Secretariat and new residences for the Prime Minister and Vice-President.

Announced in September 2019, the project’s foundation stone was laid by PM Modi on December 10, 2020. The government has allocated Rs 20,000 crore for the project. The areas along the Kartavya Path constitute the Central Vista.

Home ministry shifting out of North Block

In September, it was revealed that the Ministry of Home Affairs will soon relocate from its decades-old office in North Block to a newly built Common Central Secretariat (CCS) building on Janpath. The relocation process has already begun.

Under the redevelopment, 10 office buildings and a convention centre are being constructed along Kartavya Path. Three of these buildings are near completion. Once the ministries move out, both North Block and South Block will be transformed into the ‘Yuge Yugeen Bharat National Museum’, which is expected to house 25,000–30,000 artefacts, making it one of the world’s largest museums. The Home Ministry has been functioning from North Block for nearly 90 years.