After 77 years, PMO prepares to leave South Block for Seva Teerth

In yet another curtains down for the colonial era’s most powerful address of the country, South Block PMO, its time for house warming for the Prime Minister and his galaxy of to move to a new address. PM Narendra Modi is likely to move into the new office on Makar Sankranti, shifting the Prime Minister’s Office from South Block to the newly built Seva Teerth complex under the Central Vista Redevelopment Project.

The move also ends the PMO’s continuous presence in South Block since 1947 and reshapes the core of India’s administrative zone. After being vacated, South and North Blocks will be converted into the ‘India Through the Ages Museum’, which aims to help the public better understand India’s administrative and historical journey.

The change comes as part of a redesign of central government spaces in New Delhi, with South and North Blocks set to be turned into a public museum named Yuge Yugeen Bharat Sangrahalaya, reflecting a move towards public access while key decision-making offices relocate to an area called the Executive Enclave.

The complex has been designed to house the Prime Minister’s Office, the Cabinet Secretariat, and the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS), with each three of them having a separate building. Called Executive Enclave during the construction phase, the premises have been named Seva Teerth.

There are three buildings on these premises. Seva Teerth 1 houses the Prime Minister’s Office, Seva Teerth 2 has the cabinet secretariat, and Seva Teerth 3 has the National Security Council secretariat and the office of National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. While the Cabinet Secretariat moved into the new complex in September 2025, the NSCS is expected to shift into Seva Teerth soon, ahead of the PM’s move, according to government sources.

The complex has been constructed by Larsen and Toubro for the Central Public Works Department (CPWD), which had awarded the contract in 2022. The entire Seva Teerth premises (also known as Executive Enclave) is being built at a cost of `1,189 crore. It covers 2,26,203 sq ft.

The shift to ‘Seva Teerth’ aligns with PM Modi’s stated effort to reduce symbols of colonial rule in Delhi, the same approach that saw Rajpath renamed Kartavya Path, and the naming pattern underscore a preference for terms linked to duty, responsibility and public service.  

Seva Teerth has high-end rooms for meeting dignitaries. These rooms, besides being technologically equipped, also reflect India’s culture and traditions. A new room has been designed for cabinet meetings. The Prime Minister’s Office now has an open floor model and officials say this is aimed at bringing a change in work culture.The Prime Minister’s residence is being built near the new office and once it’s ready, he will move out of the residence on 7, Lok Kalyan Marg.

Since Independence, the Prime Minister’s Office had been located in the South Block, alongside the Ministries of External Affairs and Defence. The North Block housed the Home and Finance Ministries. Both ministries have now moved to Kartavya Bhavan as part of the Central Vista transformation.The historic North and South Blocks, which are remnants of the colonial era, will be converted into a large museum complex. This museum will present the story of India’s 5,000-year-old civilisation, with the first phase expected to open to the public early next year.

Central Vista now stands as the new face of a changing India-where heritage meets innovation to deliver faster governance, greener public spaces and a truly citizen-centric capital. It embodies our vision of streamlined decision-making with all ministries closely connected for smoother coordination, vibrant museums that bring history to life, and shaded boulevards that invite every citizen into the heart of democracy. It is a statement of India’s confidence, sustainability and shared future, and a shining example of the nation’s rising global prominence.