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From Rajpath to Seva Teerth: Modi's Push to Shed Colonial Symbols

The Prime Minister's Office has been relocated from South Block to the newly constructed 'Seva Teerth', marking a significant shift in the government's physical and symbolic identity. This move is part of a broader, calibrated effort to replace colonial-era names and structures with those reflecting Indian values of service and duty. Earlier initiatives include renaming Rajpath to Kartavya Path and changing the Prime Minister's residence address from 7 Race Course Road to Lok Kalyan Marg. These changes underscore the government's focus on establishing 'Indianised' institutions centered on public welfare and shedding the vestiges of colonial authority.

Key Points: Modi Replaces Colonial Symbols with 'Indianised' Governance Centers

  • PMO relocated to new 'Seva Teerth' building
  • Rajpath renamed to Kartavya Path in 2022
  • Raj Niwas renamed to Lok Niwas in UTs
  • PM's residence changed from 7 RCR to Lok Kalyan Marg
2 min read

From symbols of colonial past to 'Indian-ised' centers, unravelling the mindset shift

PM Modi shifts PMO to Seva Teerth, renaming Rajpath and Raj Niwas to Kartavya Path and Lok Niwas, marking a break from the colonial past.

"the colonial-era legacy is done away with and new 'Indian-ised' institutions are established - Government Vision"

New Delhi, Feb 13

As the Prime Minister's Office gets relocated from the South Block building in Raisina Hills to a newly constructed buildling 'Seva Teerth', this not only marks a milestone in the highest office's history but also puts on record a profound shift in the popular public mindset, since Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power.​

The calibrated effort to do away with structures reflective of the colonial past and to rename and rebrand public institutions underscores the Modi government's focus and thrust on making public service the high point of its governance.​

Renaming and relocating the PMO to 'Seva Teerth' is a step in the same direction. However, this is not a one-off step. While Seva Teerth serves as the new hub of PMO, accommodating offices like the Cabinet Secretariat, the National Security Advisor's office, and India House, the Kartayva Bhavans 1 & 2 have also been inaugurated, from where several high-profile ministries, including Defence and External Affairs, will now function in an integrated fashion.​

This shows that the Centre is firm on making "citizen-first" the centrestage of governance and shedding the image of an authority that those buildings continued to serve.​

Prior to this, several state governments and Union Territories (UTs) were renamed Lieutenant Governors' residences from Raj Niwas to Lok Niwas, acting on the directive of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), as the latter argued that the old nomenclature "smacked of colonialism".​

Earlier in 2022, Rajpath was renamed Kartavya Path, and the renamed stretch was formally inaugurated in September of the same year. The rechristening of the historic stretch reaffirmed the government's intent to replace "entitlement with duty".​

In 2016, the Prime Minister's residence was renamed as Lok Kalyan Marg. The move may have looked small at the time, but it was high on messaging, serving as a reminder to the public that the core purpose of governance was public welfare. For ages, the Prime Minister's residence was known as 7 Race Course Road (RCR).

'Seva Teerth' is now the new address for PMO. With the Cabinet Secretariat and the NSA's office housed in the same complex, the iconic structure will rewrite the way the PMO functions, putting the spirit of service and national priorities above all else.​

All this reinforces Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision that the colonial-era legacy is done away with and new 'Indian-ised' institutions are established with entrenched values of responsibility and public service.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

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Priya S
While I appreciate the sentiment behind renaming, I hope the focus remains on actual governance and service delivery. A new building name won't matter if the common citizen still faces long lines and red tape. The spirit of 'Seva' must translate to action.
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Vikram M
Finally! It always felt odd that the heart of our democracy operated from buildings named by the British. 'Lok Kalyan Marg', 'Kartavya Path', now 'Seva Teerth' – these names instill a sense of pride and remind everyone in power of their true purpose: public welfare.
R
Rohit P
Good move. But what about the cost? Constructing and moving entire ministries is a massive expenditure. Was there a thorough cost-benefit analysis? The money could also have been used for building schools or hospitals. Just a thought.
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Sarah B
As someone who has lived in India for years, I find this fascinating. It's a conscious nation-building exercise. Replacing 'Rajpath' (Path of Rule) with 'Kartavya Path' (Path of Duty) sends a strong message about the relationship between the state and its people.
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Ananya R
The integrated functioning of ministries from Kartayva Bhavans is a great practical step. Hopefully, it breaks down silos and leads to faster decision-making. The symbolism is nice, but this operational efficiency could be the real game-changer for citizens.

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