Latest news with #CentralVistaRedevelopmentProject
India Today
9 hours ago
- Business
- India Today
Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir to visit US for second time in two months
The Prime Minister inaugurated Kartavya Bhavan at Kartavya Path in the National Capital. This development is part of the ongoing Central Vista Redevelopment Project. Kartavya Bhavan is the first in a series of new common central secretariat buildings. These buildings aim to consolidate various ministries and streamline government operations. The project seeks to provide a new skyline for government buildings that require refurbishing. The hope is for a new, new Delhi rather than old wine in a new bottle, signifying a modern approach to administrative infrastructure. The initiative focuses on enhancing efficiency and coordination among government departments.
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First Post
a day ago
- Business
- First Post
Solar-powered, open floor work halls and more… Inside Kartavya Bhavan, India's new seat of power
PM Narendra Modi will inaugurate Kartavya Bhavan, the first of 10 planned Central Secretariat buildings at Kartavya Path. The building is part of a larger plan that aims to bring all the central government ministries into one place, which are scattered across old, colonial-era buildings in Lutyens' Delhi read more Kartavya Bhavan will bring all central government ministries into one place. Screengrab/ IMage courtesy: X/@mygovindia Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate Kartavya Bhavan, the first of ten planned Central Secretariat buildings, at Kartavya Path on Wednesday. Known as CCS-3, this is the first step in a larger plan to bring all central government ministries into one place. Right now, most ministries are scattered across old, colonial-era buildings in Lutyens' Delhi. The idea is to fix that and bring everyone together under one roof to make things more efficient. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The makeover of the staid, dilapidated central government offices is one of the most ambitious urban development projects of Lutyens' Delhi and is part of the Central Vista Redevelopment Project, which was launched in 2019. Here's a look at what the new building brings to the table. Key features of Kartavya Bhavan Kartavya Bhavan-3, the soon-to-be-inaugurated building under the Central Secretariat Complex (CCS), is a massive seven-storey structure with two basements, sprawling across nearly 1.5 lakh square metres. It's been built to bring together ministries that were earlier scattered across buildings like Shastri Bhawan, Udyog Bhawan, Nirman Bhawan, Krishi Bhawan, Vayu Bhawan, and more. Kartavya Bhavan-3, the newly inaugurated building under the Central Secretariat Complex (CCS), is part of the Central Vista Redevelopment Project, which was launched in 2019. Image courtesy: Central government While most ministries will now move to Kartavya Bhavan, some buildings will continue to house specific departments. For instance, Vanijya Bhawan will still be home to the commerce ministry, and the Jawaharlal Nehru Bhawan will continue to host the external affairs ministry. Other heritage buildings like the National Museum and Ambedkar Auditorium will also be retained, as per The Print. Built to be greener & smarter According to The Print, the structure includes several eco-friendly features: double-glazed windows and a façade to improve insulation, reduce external noise, and prevent condensation. The building uses energy-efficient LED lighting, a smart air-conditioning system, and both occupancy and daylight sensors, all of which are expected to reduce energy consumption by 30 per cent. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Solar power is another key feature. A rooftop solar panel system with a capacity of 366 kWp is expected to generate over 5.34 lakh units of electricity annually. An additional 200 kW system is also planned for the security building's rooftop. Empowering Governance Building New India! PM @narendramodi to inaugurate Kartavya Bhavan tomorrow. This state-of-the-art complex will foster synergy, streamline operations, and boost innovation by housing multiple Ministries and Departments under one roof. A good example of… — MyGovIndia (@mygovindia) August 5, 2025 The Bhavan is designed to be a zero-discharge facility. It will treat and reuse 1.1 million litres of wastewater per day, covering 60 per cent of the building's daily requirement. Rainwater harvesting systems have been installed to provide drinking water. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD From dual plumbing systems and drip irrigation to low-flow taps and sensor-based urinals, every drop of water will be put to smart use. The building also features drinking water fountains designed for efficiency. Waste isn't wasted either. An in-house system will handle 1,000 kg of organic waste daily, converting it into manure. Biometric entry, open office spaces The CCS will feature a modern access system. Entry into Kartavya Bhavan will be managed through smart ID cards, used not just for identification but also to control access for both officials and visitors. All employees have been asked to fill out an online form, submit photographs, and complete biometric authentication through the Ministry of Home Affairs. 'This is a new smart card system and is proposed to be in place. The Aadhar Enabled Biometric Attendance System (AEBAS) is installed inside the office buildings. This new smart card, which will replace the identity card, will be used to authenticate Government officers' entry inside the buildings, thereby is better for security purposes,' said Dev Gupta, president of the Central Secretariat Service Forum, in a statement to The Hindustan Times. Kartavya Bhawan. PTI Security will be tight, with CCTV cameras on every floor, power fencing on boundary walls, and an integrated command and control centre that will oversee all movement within the Central Vista area. The new secretariat is well-equipped for official meetings and coordination. There are 24 large conference rooms, each with a 45-person capacity, along with 26 smaller rooms for 25 participants, and 67 compact meeting spaces designed for teams of nine. It also has features open office spaces, which are typical in corporate offices. However, several senior officers have voiced concerns about these shared spaces, saying they could compromise privacy and confidentiality. Some have requested private chambers to ensure secure conversations and paperwork. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In total, Kartavya Bhavan will be one of ten new buildings in the CCS that will accommodate various ministries. While many ministries have already started shifting into the new premises, CCS buildings 1 and 2 are still under construction. According to Housing Secretary K Srinivas, the full complex will be ready by mid-2027. With input from agencies
The Print
2 days ago
- Business
- The Print
Modi to inaugurate swanky new address for central ministries today. Inside the hi-tech Kartavya Bhavan
The makeover of the staid, decrepit central government offices is one of the most ambitious urban upgrade projects of Lutyens Delhi and is part of the Central Vista Redevelopment Project, which was launched in 2019. The CCS has been given a new name now—Kartavya Bhavan—and the first of the ten CCS buildings (or CCS-3) is finally complete and will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday. The original deadline for the completion of three CCS buildings was November 2023. Two other buildings are due for completion next month. New Delhi: Access-controlled offices, swanky conference rooms, open floor work halls, CCTVs on every floor and more. Phase by phase, the Common Central Secretariat (CCS), which will house all the central government ministries, is finally taking shape on the land where the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts once stood in Delhi's Janpath. Kartavya Path and the new Parliament building are part of the redevelopment project. As of now, only the Ministry of Home Affairs has moved into CCS-3 from its earlier North Block address. Next to move in will be the petroleum and natural gas and rural development ministries, Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said Tuesday while briefing the media at CCS-3. The Centre has sanctioned Rs 3,690 crore for the construction of CCS 1, 2 and 3. In all, the CCS will have ten new building blocks where the different central government ministries will be housed. At a press briefing Tuesday, housing secretary K Srinivas said the CCS will be ready in entirety by mid-2027. 'By December 2025, work will start on all the remaining buildings and with new building technology that we are using, we will be able to complete it within 24 months,' Srinivas said. The CCS will have 24 main conference rooms with capacity to seat 45 people, 26 small conference rooms that can seat 25 people each, and 67 small meeting rooms that can hold nine people each. The old Central Secretariat complex currently houses the offices of 22 Union ministries, housing 41,000 employees. It includes offices of central ministries housed in Shastri Bhawan, Nirman Bhawan, Udyog Bhawan, Krishi Bhawan and Vayu Bhawan among others. While a majority of the central government ministries will move to CCS, some like the Vanijya Bhawan, which houses the offices of the commerce ministry, and Jawaharlal Nehru Bhawan, which houses the offices of the external affairs ministry, will be retained. Other buildings in the Central Secretariat Complex that will be retained include the National Museum and Ambedkar Auditorium. 'These buildings have come up fairly recently,' Srinivas said. The CCS building will also have several green features such as double-glazed glass windows and façade for enhanced thermal insulation, reduced noise, and minimised condensation. There will also be energy efficient LED lighting, occupancy sensors and daylight sensors to achieve 30 percent energy savings. Entry to the building will be through an ID card based access control system—both for officials and visitors. The building will also have power fencing on the boundary wall for perimeter security. There will be an integrated command and control centre for Central Vista from where all the movement in the area will be monitored. Also Read: Plan changes & lack of clarity, what's causing delays in Delhi's Central Vista revamp project Prime Minister's Residence A brand new Prime Minister's Office, called Executive Enclave, and Prime Minister's residence is also in the pipeline. Addressing a press briefing on the eve of the PM inaugurating the first CCS building, Khattar said that work on the Executive Enclave is on and will be completed soon. The Executive Enclave is coming up at the site where the South Block stands now. Work on the Prime Minister's new residence has also begun. 'We have bid out the project,' a senior housing ministry official said. The Prime Minister's Residence Complex, which will be part of Executive Enclave-II, is one of the most important and high-profile components of the Central Vista Redevelopment Project. Coming up on Dara Shikoh Road near South Block in Delhi, the complex will be spread over a total built-up area of 2,26,203 square feet and is estimated to cost Rs 467 crore. Of the total built-up area, the PM's residence will be spread out over an area of 36,328 square feet. ThePrint had earlier reported that besides the prime minister's main residence on the ground and first floors, the complex located south of South Block will also contain the PM's home office, an indoor sports facility, support staff quarters, a Special Protection Group (SPG) office, a Seva Sadan, as well as a security office. An important component of the complex will be a subterranean VIP tunnel that can be accessed from the PM's home office. It will directly connect the PM's residence to the Executive Enclave, which will house the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), the new Parliament and the Vice-President's residence. (Edited by Gitanjali Das) Also Read: Central Vista museum committee 'met only once' since 2022. No clarity on artefacts' destination
Indian Express
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Daily Briefing: The big global outreach
Good morning, Let me transport you to Paris for a moment. Think of the iconic Louvre Museum, the shiny glass pyramid right at the city's heart along the banks of the River Seine. The Indian government is keen on a similar glass structure for the upcoming Yuge Yugeen National Museum in Delhi. It will likely be a massive glass dome. A part of the Central Vista Redevelopment Project, the museum, once completed, is expected to overtake the Louvre as the 'largest museum in the world' and add a modern sparkle to this historic landmark. On that note, let's get to today's edition. Three Indian delegations have set out on a global tour to rally support for the country's war against terror emanating from Pakistan. Starting today, teams led by JD(U)'s Sanjay Jha, Shiv Sena's Shrikant Shinde and DMK's Kanimozhi will visit Japan, South Korea, Russia, Spain, and the UAE, among others, over the next two weeks. Seven multi-party contingents will travel to 32 countries, including United Nations Security Council (UNSC) members. They will meet lawmakers, government workers, think tanks and academics as part of the outreach. On agenda: The main objective of this global exercise is to dispel misinformation about India's Operation Sindoor, underlining the country's 'new normal' in response to cross-border terrorism. The delegations are also ready to explain India's stand on the Indus Waters Treaty. The bottom line? Countries must not equate India and Pakistan. One is a victim of terror, and the other a perpetrator. Political wrangle: This diplomatic crusade was not without its share of internal politics. The Congress party was miffed that its recommended leaders were not part of the delegations. The Trinamool Congress, meanwhile, reached a consensus with the Centre, replacing their pick, Yusuf Pathan, with its second-in-command, Abhishek Banerjee. The government also managed to smooth things out with the Shiv Sena (UBT), whose spokesman had earlier called the Opposition parties to abandon the exercise. 'Self-goal': In openly opposing the inclusion of its senior members in these delegations, the Congress party may have scored a 'self-goal', writes columnist Neerja Chowdhury. She also examines how a fractured political terrain has made a working relationship between the Opposition and the government impossible. Read on. For more on the diplomatic outreach, tune in to today's episode of the '3 Things' podcast. Troubled waters: The Jal Jeevan mission began in 2019 with an ambitious aim to provide individual tap connections and drinking water supply to each rural household. Six years later, this is proving to be a costly exercise for the government, prompting the Expenditure Secretary to recommend a 46 per cent cut in the Jal Shakti ministry's proposed additional funding. The Centre has also sent out 100 inspection teams. The Indian Express investigated and found that a tweak in tender guidelines three years ago may have resulted in cost escalations. We scrutinised the details of over 1 lakh schemes between 2022 and 2024 to understand the math. Here's what we found. The North Star: One of the most celebrated Indian astrophysicists, Jayant Narlikar, passed away Tuesday morning in Pune at 87. My colleague Amitabh Sinha writes a fitting tribute to the man who sought to change how the world views its origins. Among his best-known works, Narlikar developed an alternative to the 'Big Bang' theory with his PhD advisor Fred Hoyle. Unlike the Big Bang theory, which envisions a beginning and possibly an end to the universe, Hoyle and Narlikar's steady-state theory espouses that the universe has always been, and would continue to be, the way it is. Trump-proof: The United States favoured bilateral dialogue between Delhi and Rawalpindi on Kashmir for years, avoiding direct mediation. That changed in 2019, when the Donald Trump administration intervened to de-escalate tensions after the Pulwama terror attack and India's Balakot strikes. Cut to 2025: Trump was quick to claim credit for brokering a ceasefire, invoking trade ties with both nations, despite the stark difference in scale. India's annual trade exceeds $1 trillion, while Pakistan's is around $90 billion. In his weekly column, C Raja Mohan argues that Delhi must look beyond Trump-era policies to safeguard the deeper structural and strategic ties with the US. Hi-tech: Are slow WiFi speeds troubling you? In a game-changing move, the government has decided to open up license-free use of a portion of the 6 GHz spectrum band. This long-standing demand of major tech companies like Sony, Apple and Meta was opposed by telecom giants. The high-speed internet would support devices like Sony PlayStation Pro and Meta's virtual reality gear. Know more about it. Karnataka-based activist writer Banu Mushtaq has created history with her short story collection Heart Lamp, translated to English by Deepa Bhasthi, winning the prestigious International Booker Prize 2025. It is the first short story anthology to win the 'translated fiction' award. It's also the first book, originally written in Kannada, to bag a Booker. The 12 tales in Heart Lamp chronicle women's lives in patriarchal communities in southern India. That's all for today, folks! Until tomorrow, Sonal Gupta
Indian Express
20-05-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
At upcoming Central Vista National Museum, plans for a glass dome inspired by the Louvre
The upcoming Yuge Yugeen National Museum will have a massive glass dome as its central feature. On the lines of the glass pyramid at the Louvre Museum in Paris, the dome, the first point of entry to the National Museum, will function as a holding area for visitors, with ticketing counters, souvenir shops, photo booths and cafes, The Indian Express has learnt. While the iconic Louvre Pyramid is a landmark in Paris, the Louvre in Abu Dhabi has a glass dome. Sources said the Indian government, which has tied up with French Museums Development (FMD) for the project, is keen on a similar glass structure for the new National Museum. The museum, expected to overtake the Louvre in Paris as the 'largest museum in the world' once it's ready, is a key part of the Central Vista Redevelopment Project. The glass dome is set to come up at a suitable point in the vicinity of the North and South Blocks, which currently house several key government offices, including the Prime Minister's Office, and the Home, Defence and Finance Ministries. 'With a planned surface area of 155,000 sqm, the museum is among the largest ongoing museum projects globally. France was invited to share its expertise as exemplified in several outstanding projects such as the Grand Louvre, Louvre Abu Dhabi, and the Grand Palais,' an official from the French Embassy in New Delhi told The Indian Express. The Louvre Pyramid in Paris, a large glass-and-metal entrance way that stands in the main courtyard of the Louvre Palace, came up in 1989 as part of the Grand Louvre project. The distinctive dome of the Louvre in Abu Dhabi, designed by architect Jean Nouvel and inaugurated in 2017, is known for its 'rain of light' effect. Sources said the dome at the Yuge Yugeen Bharat National Museum will blend with the theme of the museum: '5,000 years of Indian civilisation'. In December last year, India and France signed an agreement on the 'adaptive reuse' of the North and South Blocks – that is, the buildings would be repurposed for the museum project without demolishing them. Sources said the Indian side wants to expedite the museum project. The project will be implemented in two phases — the first involves the retrofitting of North Block into a museum space, with an estimated deadline of June 2026. Sources said the mapping of North Block has already been done in consultation with FMD and the building is expected to be free for retrofitting activities in three months. The plan is to get South Block too vacated this year. Sources said the PMO will be the first department to move out of South Block before the end of this year. Officials said objects from the National Museum will be moved from their current location at Janpath only when the new building is ready to host them. 'The focus is now on finalising the content and exhibition design for the new project. The museum will be built as a single, coherent narrative and not separate fragmented galleries,' a source said. Once North Block is vacated, the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) will restore the structure to its original state by removing all the additional walls, partitions and ceilings that came up over the decades. Records show North Block had around 400 rooms when the British inaugurated New Delhi in 1931, but over the years, partitions were added and the number of rooms doubled. Divya A reports on travel, tourism, culture and social issues - not necessarily in that order - for The Indian Express. She's been a journalist for over a decade now, working with Khaleej Times and The Times of India, before settling down at Express. Besides writing/ editing news reports, she indulges her pen to write short stories. As Sanskriti Prabha Dutt Fellow for Excellence in Journalism, she is researching on the lives of the children of sex workers in India. ... Read More
