Modi: India Will Shed Every Relic Of Colonial Past

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said as India strides towards a "Viksit Bharat" and seeks to shed every relic of its colonial past, new buildings of governance—Seva Teerth and Kartavya Bhavans—are an important milestone in national progress. Inaugurating the new PMO, named Seva Teerth, and two buildings of the central secretariat, called Kartavya Bhavan 1 and 2, Modi also said that the towers have been built to fulfil the aspirations of the people of India.

Recalling that the Race Course Road was renamed Lok Kalyan Marg, which was not merely a change of name but an effort to transform the attitude of power into a spirit of service, Modi said, “The new Prime Minister's Office has been named Seva Teerth. Seva, or the spirit of service, is the soul of India; it is the identity of India."

After unveiling the Seva Teerth, which will now house the PMO, the National Security Council secretariat and the Cabinet secretariat, in the afternoon, Modi said that the dedication of Seva Teerth reflects a deep commitment towards public service and the welfare of citizens.

After the inauguration, the Prime Minister, flanked by top PMO officials all clad in pink Nehru jackets, signed files approving the launch of the PM RAHAT scheme for extending life-saving protection for every citizen and doubling the number of lakhpati didis to six crores. He also approved doubling the target of Lakhpati Didis to six crores by March 2029 and doubling the agriculture infrastructure fund to ₹2-lakh crores to reflect the spirit of “seva”.

Speaking during the inaugural function in the evening, Modi said, “Today, with the resolve of a developed India, all are entering the Seva Teerth and Kartavya Bhavan.”

Highlighting that after Independence, many important decisions and policies for the nation were made from buildings such as South Block and North Block, Modi stated that these structures, however, were built as symbols of the British Empire, intended to keep India chained in slavery for centuries.

The Prime Minister noted that subsequently, keeping in mind the needs and mindset of colonial rule, the construction of North Block and South Block began. He emphasised that Raisina Hills was chosen so that these buildings will stand above all others, allowing none to be equal.

Underlining that while South Block and North Block were constructed to implement the colonial mindset, the Prime Minister exclaimed that today, Seva Teerth and Kartavya Bhavan have been built to fulfil the aspirations of the people of India. He stressed that the decisions taken here will not reflect the thinking of any monarch but will serve as the foundation to advance the expectations of 140 crore citizens.

Emphasising that in the journey of a developed India, it is vital to move forward free from the colonial mindset, Modi remarked that unfortunately, even after Independence, symbols of colonial rule continued to be carried. He pointed out that the Prime Minister’s residence was once called Race Course Road, the vice-president had no designated residence, and the road leading to Rashtrapati Bhavan was called Rajpath in a democracy.

Mr Modi underlined that the capital of a free nation remained deeply entangled in colonial mentality, with Delhi’s buildings, public places and historical sites filled with such symbols. He stated that time never remains the same, and in 2014 the country resolved that the colonial mindset will no longer continue.

Modi noted that a campaign was launched to change this mindset, leading to the creation of the National War Memorial in honour of martyrs and the Police Memorial to recognise police bravery. He recalled that Race Course Road was renamed Lok Kalyan Marg, which was not merely a change of name but an effort to transform the attitude of power into a spirit of service.

The Prime Minister highlighted that as India rides the "Reform Express", writing a new chapter in international relations, opening new doors through trade agreements and moving rapidly towards saturation targets, the new pace of work and renewed confidence in Seva Teerth and Kartavya Bhavans will play a major role in achieving national goals.

Earlier in the day, in the first set of decisions after shifting to Seva Teerth, Modi signed important files relating to decisions that reflect the spirit of seva.

In the presence of national security adviser Ajit Doval, minister of state in PMO Jitendra Singh and top officials including principal secretaries P.K. Mishra and Shaktikanta Das, the Prime Minister signed files approving the launch of the PM RAHAT scheme.

The Prime Minister’s Office said that under the PM Rahat initiative, accident victims will get cashless treatment of up to ₹1.5 lakhs, ensuring that no life is lost due to lack of immediate medical help.

”The government has crossed the landmark of 3-crore Lakhpati Didis, more than a year ahead of the original March 2027 timeline. The Prime Minister has now set a new, ambitious target of 6-crore Lakhpati Didis by March 2029, doubling both scale and aspiration,” the PMO said.

In a move aimed at strengthening India’s entire agriculture value chain, the Prime Minister has announced the doubling of the loan target of the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund from ₹1-lakh crores to ₹2-lakh crores.

”To power India’s innovation ecosystem, especially in deep tech, early-stage ideas, advanced manufacturing and breakthrough technologies, the Prime Minister has approved the Startup India Fund of Funds (FoF) 2.0 with a corpus of ₹10,000 crores,” the PMO added.