A major administrative shift is unfolding today, Friday, February 13. By afternoon, Narendra Modi is set to chair the final Cabinet meeting at South Block before formally moving the Prime Minister's Office to the newly built Sewa Teerth complex.

The change ends nearly eight decades of the PMO operating from the historic building.

The Cabinet session today precedes the relocation of ministers and senior officials to the new complex on Raisina Hill, less than a kilometre away. The PMO will function from Sewa Teerth-1, part of three interconnected buildings near Vayu Bhawan.

Sewa Teerth-2 already hosts the Cabinet Secretariat following its shift from Rashtrapati Bhavan. Sewa Teerth-3 will accommodate the National Security Council Secretariat and the National Security Adviser's office, moving from Sardar Patel Bhawan. The enclave will also include India House, intended for high-level delegations.

A naming ceremony is scheduled around 1:30pm. The Prime Minister is expected to formally inaugurate the complex, along with Kartavya Bhavan-1 and Kartavya Bhavan-2, later today and address a public programme in the evening.

What makes the new complex different

Located on Dara Shikoh Road, the campus brings together offices previously spread across multiple buildings. It houses the PMO, Cabinet Secretariat and National Security Council Secretariat in one integrated space.

Facilities include smart access controls, surveillance systems, centralised public interface zones, conference areas and reception facilities. Renewable energy systems, water conservation and waste management features are part of its 4-Star GRIHA environmental design. Safety frameworks and digitally integrated offices aim to improve coordination and working conditions, according to official information.

From colonial blocks to a new centre

South Block and North Block were completed in 1931 during British rule. After Independence, the first Cabinet meeting under Jawaharlal Nehru took place at South Block.

The PMO began as a Prime Minister's Secretariat in 1947, gained formal status during Lal Bahadur Shastri's tenure, expanded under Indira Gandhi and was renamed the Prime Minister's Office in 1977 under Morarji Desai.

With ministries vacating both blocks, the buildings are planned to become the Yuge Yugeen Bharat National Museum. Defence and external affairs ministries are expected to shift out of South Block in the coming weeks.