Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Kartavya Bhavan in New Delhi on Wednesday. Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, Manohar Lal Khattar, MoS, Tokhan Sahu, and Secretary, Katikithala Srinivas were also present.
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ANI
Babudom has found a swank new address, but it’s not without its controversies. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated ‘Kartavya Bhavan-3’, the first of the new ten common central secretariat buildings that will house the bureaucracy across union ministries.
For the bureaucrats, who are shifting into the new building from the Imperial era Edwin Lutyens’ designed North Block, and other old edifices on the central vista, it is more than a space shift. It’s a new “corporate” way of working in open-plan offices with shared spaces. Rooms are only reserved for the top bureaucracy.
Meanwhile, the messaging from the government on the “infrastructural upgrade” is one of shedding colonial legacy. As he inaugurated the building, Modi said, “The Kartavya Bhavan reflects our commitment to build a developed and self-reliant India.”
Ministry relocation
The Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Ministry of Rural Development and Department of Personnel and Training will all be moving into Kartavya Bhavan as per a plan approved by the Directorate of Estates.
Designed as a modern office complex, Kartavya Bhavan is spread across about 1.5 lakh square metres, with seven floors and two basements to accommodate around 600 cars. It has inbuilt power saving and recycling facilities, saving 30 per cent of energy and generating over 5.34 lakh units of electricity annually, as per the government. It has a crèche, a yoga room, a medical room, a café, a kitchen, a multipurpose hall and several small conference rooms.
Workspace Woes
However, not all government employees are happy with the Bhavan. The Central Secretariat Service Forum (CSSF), representing 13,400 officials, wrote to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) before the inauguration, expressing their disappointment over the open layout of Kartavya Bhawan-3. “The seating arrangement… lacks the necessary spatial integrity and functional separation of sections. In addition, multiple sections are housed in a single work hall without clear demarcation,” the CSSF wrote.
Assistant Section Officers (ASOs), who are central to file processing and examining, lack dedicated storage for both physical files and stationery, as well as partitions between their workspaces, the Forum said. Similar is the situation for under secretaries who are entrusted to handle highly sensitive and confidential matters, it informed the PMO.
However, Modi, in his inauguration address, said Kartavya Bhavan “reflects our unwavering commitment to public service.” He also said the building would drive efficiency with faster delivery of policies. He noted that the structure has been developed with full attention to environmental protection, and planted a sapling in the premises of Kartavya Bhawan.
According to the Central Vista Redevelopment Project, the North and South Blocks will be converted into a new national museum, christened the ‘Yuge Yugeen Bharat National Museum’, to showcase the country’s rich culture and heritage.
Published on August 6, 2025
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