Central Vista Redevelopment Project

The Central Vista Project sets out to build a new Parliament and other Central Government offices in Lutyens Delhi. 

What is Central Vista?

Central Vista is a 3.2 kilometre stretch in Delhi which houses Rashtrapati Bhawan, Parliament House, North and South Block, India Gate, National Archives among others. All these iconic buildings were constructed before 1931, the year in which the new capital was inaugurated. The Central Vista Redevelopment Project is a government’s plan for the construction of a new parliament building which will be close to the existing one.

The information related to the Central Vista Project is important for aspirants preparing for competitive exams. Those willing to appear for different Government exams can expect questions on the Central Vista redevelopment Project in the current affairs section.

Central Vista Project – Overview

1. The Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs proposed a Central Vista redevelopment project in 2019.
2. The project intends to construct a triangular-shaped Parliament building next to the existing one, construction of Common Central Secretariat, revamp of the 3 kilometres long Rajpath from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate.
3. It also includes the conversion of North and South Blocks into museums and the development of Central Vista Avenue.
4. To accommodate the offices of various ministries, 87 storied buildings will be built for the common Central Secretariat.
5. Nirman Bhavan, Krishi Bhavan, and Vigyan Bhavan will be demolished under this project.

Central Vista Redevelopment – Need of Revamping

1. Inadequate facilities and infrastructure of the Parliament building to meet the current demand.
2. The offices of the Central Government are spread over different locations which affect inter-departmental coordination, and unnecessary travel leading to congestion and pollution.
3. Most of the existing buildings have outlived their structural lives.

Central Vista Project – Aim

1. The Central Vista Redevelopment Plan is proposed to meet the present and future needs of space for the Parliament, Ministries and Departments, as well as to provide better public facilities, amenities, parking facilities, etc. Citing fire safety, acoustics concern, the dilapidated condition of the century-old construction, the redevelopment project is planned.
2. Under this ambitious project, there will be a new Parliament building by July 2022 and a common Central Secretariat by March 2024.
3. Once this project is completed, the strength of the parliament has been expected to increase from 545 seats to 900 seats.
4. The project also envisions to improve the beauty of Central vista to make it a world-class tourist attraction

Aspirants can dive deep into relevant details on the following topics-

• Lok Sabha
• Rajya Sabha
• State Legislature

Central Vista Background

The Plan of Central Vista Redevelopment extends from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate. It includes North Block, South Block, the Parliament building and other central government secretariat buildings and all the plots of land immediately around them along the Rajpath.

Background – 

• In December 1911, King George V made an announcement in Delhi Durbar (a grand assembly) to shift the capital of India from Calcutta to Delhi. Delhi Durbar was hosted to mark the coronation of King George V.
• The task of constructing a new city was given to Edwin Lutyens, known for his strong adherence to European Classicism and Herbert Baker, a prominent architect in South Africa.
• Herbert Baker is also the architect of the Union buildings at Pretoria, South Africa.
• Parliament House building was designed by both Lutyens and Baker.
• Madhya Pradesh’s Chausath Yogini Mandir is the temple which inspired the design of Indian Parliament.
• Rashtrapati Bhavan was designed by Edwin Lutyens.
• The Secretariat which includes both north and south block was designed by Herbert Baker.

Other initiatives by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs important from exams perspective-

Candidates can go through other important Government schemes on the linked page. 

Aspirants preparing for various government exams can follow the links given below for assistance in their preparation.

1. Free Online Quiz for Government Exams
2. Government Exams Free Mock Test Series
3. Government Exam Previous Year Question Papers with Solution PDFs

Aspirants of UPSC can also expect questions on  Central Vista Redevelopment project in UPSC Prelims. Candidates preparing for the UPSC exam can check the links given below –

1. IAS 2023
2. UPSC Calendar 2023
3. UPSC Syllabus

You can also check out the preparation strategies for competitive exams to fine-tune your exam prep.