PMO complex gets new name ‘Seva Teerth’. What does it mean?

The new complex housing the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) will be named ‘Seva Teerth’, PTI reported, citing officials. The complex, now nearing completion, was previously referred to as the Executive Enclave under the Central Vista Redevelopment project.

Besides the PMO, the 'Executive Enclave' will also comprise offices of the Cabinet Secretariat, National Security Council Secretariat and India House, which will be a venue for high-level talks with visiting dignitaries.

The 'Seva Teerth' will be a workplace designed to reflect the spirit of service and where national priorities take shape, officials said, adding that India's public institutions were undergoing a quiet but profound shift, PTI reported.

What does it mean?

The idea of governance is moving from 'satta' (power) to 'seva' (service) and from authority to responsibility, they said, adding that the change was not just administrative, but cultural and moral.

Raj Bhawans, the residences of governors of states, too, are being renamed as 'Lok Bhawans'.

Officials said under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the spaces of governance have been reshaped to reflect 'kartavya' (duty) and transparency, PTI reported.

“Every name, every building and every symbol now points to a simple idea. Government exists to serve,” they said.

Recently, the government renamed Rajpath, the tree-lined avenue from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate, as Kartavya Path.

The prime minister's official residence was renamed Lok Kalyan Marg in 2016, a name that conveys welfare, not exclusivity and a reminder of the work that lies ahead for every elected government.

The Central Secretariat is named Kartavya Bhavan, a vast administrative hub built around the idea that public service is a commitment.

“These changes mark a deeper ideological transition. Indian democracy is choosing responsibility over power and service over status,” the officials said.

“A shift in names is also a shift in mindset. Today, they speak the language of seva, kartavya and citizen-first governance,” the officials said.

(With inputs from PTI)