PMO renamed as Seva Teerth, Raj Bhavans renamed as Lok Bhavans… Orders issued by the Centre

The Central Government has formally renamed several key institutions as part of a nationwide rebranding of government-property nomenclature. The official residences of Governors previously known as Raj Bhavan — along with analogous residences known as Raj Niwas — will now be called Lok Bhavan (and Lok Niwas respectively), effective immediately.

Simultaneously, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) will be rechristened as Seva Teerth. The new PMO complex, located in the Executive Enclave, will function from “Seva Teerth-1”, one of three modern buildings constructed as part of the relocation. In its broader administrative reshuffle, the old Central Secretariat — the nerve-centre of India’s bureaucracy — has been renamed Kartavya Bhavan. The renaming aligns with the inauguration of the first building under the new Common Central Secretariat project, intended to house several key ministries under one roof.

This move — dropping colonial-era titles like “Raj” (royalty) from public offices — is being portrayed as a symbolic shift towards people-centric governance. Officials say the new names reflect a commitment to public service, accountability and accessibility.