PMO's New Address 'Seva Teerth' Built To 4-Star GRIHA Standards: What Does That Mean?

Last Updated:February 13, 2026, 17:54 IST

GRIHA stands for Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment, India’s national framework that evaluates how sustainably a building performs across its entire life cycle.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday announced the new name for the complex that houses the Prime Minister’s Office, the National Security Council Secretariat and the Cabinet Secretariat — it will now be known as Seva Teerth.

Since 2014, the government has been steadily moving away from colonial-era names and symbols. South Block has now become Seva Teerth; the Central Secretariat has been renamed Kartavya Bhavan; Rajpath is now Kartavya Path; Race Course Road is Lok Kalyan Marg; and Raj Bhavans and Raj Niwas across several states have been redesignated as Lok Bhavan or Lok Niwas.

Kartavya Bhavan-1 and 2 will accommodate several major ministries, including Finance, Defence, Health, Corporate Affairs, Education, Culture, Law, Information and Broadcasting, Agriculture, Chemicals and Fertilisers, and Tribal Affairs.

Both complexes feature digitally integrated offices, structured public interface areas and central reception zones to improve collaboration, citizen services and employee well-being. Built to 4-Star GRIHA standards, they incorporate renewable energy systems, water conservation features, waste-management solutions and high-performance building envelopes to reduce environmental impact and improve operational efficiency.

But what exactly does GRIHA measure, how does the rating work, and why does it matter for government buildings?

What Is GRIHA And How Does It Work?

GRIHA, short for Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment, is India’s own framework for evaluating how environmentally responsible a building is across its entire life cycle. The word ‘Griha’ itself means ‘abode’ in Sanskrit, underscoring its focus on the sustainability of living and working spaces.

Developed by TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute) and adopted by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy in 2007, GRIHA provides a nationally accepted benchmark for what constitutes a green building. It balances established engineering practices with emerging global concepts, ensuring that Indian construction standards remain both grounded and forward-looking.

Unlike labels that look only at energy consumption, GRIHA evaluates a building holistically — from site planning to resource use, material selection, energy performance, water management, waste handling and occupant comfort.

Crucially, the system has been designed not just to certify completed structures but to guide and evaluate buildings from the moment they are conceived. A project is assessed on its predicted performance through its entire life cycle, from pre-construction to operation.

This includes the suitability of the site (soil, vegetation, land profile, proximity to public transport), decisions taken during building planning and construction (resource conservation, material selection, waste recovery, provisions for occupant well-being) and the long-term operation and maintenance of the building, including how efficiently it manages energy and water and how well it safeguards the health and comfort of its users. This life-cycle lens is a core feature of GRIHA.

Buildings are assessed across 34 criteria, with a total score of 100 points. A project must score at least 50 to qualify for certification, subject to meeting all mandatory criteria.

GRIHA awards star ratings as follows:

• 50–60 points: 1-Star
• 61–70: 2-Star
• 71–80: 3-Star
• 81–90: 4-Star
• 91–100: 5-Star

Seva Teerth and Kartavya Bhavan have been designed to meet the 4-Star band, indicating high performance in energy efficiency, water conservation, renewable integration and waste management.

Who Developed GRIHA?

GRIHA was created by TERI, a leading Indian research institute founded in 1974 that specialises in energy, environment and sustainable development. Over the decades, TERI has emerged as a globally recognised think tank on climate and resource efficiency, and GRIHA is among its most widely adopted frameworks.

What Makes A Building ‘Green’ Under GRIHA?

The system is built around principles that define an environmentally responsible structure. A green building under GRIHA is one that:

• Consumes less energy without reducing occupant comfort
• Minimises damage to natural habitats and biodiversity
• Reduces pollution and environmental footprint
• Uses significantly less water
• Enhances productivity for its users
• Generates limited waste, with strong reuse and recycling practices

These goals align with the broader intent of GRIHA: to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, ease pressure on natural resources and improve environmental quality at both the local and global level.

For building owners and occupants, this translates into tangible benefits such as lower operating costs, healthier indoor environments, reduced air and water pollution, better waste management and improved productivity. It also enhances the overall marketability and long-term value of the building.

Why Are GRIHA Ratings Important For Government Complexes Like Seva Teerth?

Government buildings tend to be large consumers of energy and water, operating for long hours and housing thousands of employees. GRIHA compliance helps reduce the resource footprint of such complexes while improving comfort and operational efficiency.

According to GRIHA’s own benchmark assessments, office buildings with eight-hour operating cycles typically reduce resource consumption by 30 to 50 per cent when they comply with GRIHA standards. For structures like Seva Teerth, which consolidate multiple secretariats and ministries under one roof, this significantly lowers running costs and environmental impact.

It also aligns with the government’s broader sustainability goals, including renewable energy adoption, reduced emissions and better waste management across public infrastructure.

News india PMO's New Address 'Seva Teerth' Built To 4-Star GRIHA Standards: What Does That Mean?

Read More