Army and Navy chiefs to move out of South Block by November-end
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The chiefs of the Indian Army and Navy, along with their senior officers, are set to move out of South Block in New Delhi by the end of November, ending a decades-old arrangement under which the two service headquarters operated from the iconic government building.
Army Chief General Dhiraj Seth, the Vice Chief of the Army Staff, and seven Principal Staff Officers are expected to shift to the newly constructed Shaurya Bhavan in Delhi Cantonment.
Navy Chief Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, the Vice Chief, and other senior officers are also expected to move out of South Block as part of the relocation.
The shift will include key operational establishments such as the Army War Room and the office of the Director General of Military Operations. The future location of the Navy War Room remains unclear because of its extensive infrastructure and secure communication requirements.
The Navy moved into Nausena Bhavan in Delhi Cantonment in 2024. The latest relocation is expected to bring its senior leadership out of South Block as well.
The move is part of a wider restructuring of the Defence Ministry's administrative and military establishments. The ministry has temporarily shifted to Kartavya Bhavan II, where the Chief of Defence Staff is currently the only senior military leader based.
Once the Army Chief moves to Shaurya Bhavan, he will have to travel to Kartavya Bhavan II for meetings with the Defence Minister and senior government officials.
The ministry is expected to move to Kartavya Bhavan 6 and 7 once construction is completed. The buildings will also house additional offices of the service chiefs.
Officers under the Department of Military Affairs, including the Director General of the Defence Intelligence Agency, are also expected to move out of South Block.
The first phase of the relocation began in April, when the Defence Minister and his secretariat shifted to Kartavya Bhavan II. Other ministry offices and associated branches have since moved in phases.