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Given the premium for land and India’s economic needs, there will be conflict over questions of preservation
and livelihood. (Refer EPIC April 2022 for Geological Heritage Sites)

3. Issues Related to Renaming of Places

News: The Supreme Court has dismissed a PIL seeking a ‘Renaming Commission’ to restore original names
of ancient, cultural, and religious places renamed by the past rulers.

What are the Legal Provisions to Rename a State/Place?

• Under Article 3 of the Constitution,
Parliament may alter the name of a
State by Law. Such Bill must be
presented with the recommendation of
the President. The Bill must be referred
to the State Legislature for its view(s)
e.g., The Orissa (Alteration of Name)
Act, 2011 changed the name to Odisha.
• For renaming of a place, a resolution
may be passed by the State Legislative
Assembly. The resolution as proposal is
submitted to the Union Ministry of
Home Affairs. Approval is sought from
the Ministry of Railways, Intelligence Bureau, Department of Posts, Survey of India, and Registrar
General of India. After approval of Ministry of Home Affairs, official gazette notification is issued.

What has been the trend of Renaming Places since Independence?

• Between 1947-2022, estimated 57 cities and ~ 9 states were renamed. United Provinces was renamed
Uttar Pradesh, Madras State as Tamil Nadu, Bombay State as Maharashtra. Orissa was changed to Odisha
in 2011.
• Anglicised names have been restored to their original colloquial usage e.g., Bombay to Mumbai, Calcutta
to Kolkata, Bangalore to Bengaluru etc.
• Some places were renamed after local heroes e.g., Victoria Terminus became Chatrapati Shivaji
Terminus.
• Some icons have been renamed to remove colonial past e.g., Kingsway was renamed Rajpath (and now
Kartavya Path), Queensway was renamed Janpath.

What is the Rationale Behind Renaming of Places in India?

• Sense of ‘Indian Identity’: Colonial names have been changed to give a sense of ‘Indian identity’ e.g.,
Waltair was renamed as Visakhapatnam.
• Cultural Heritage: Some cities have thousands years of cultural heritage e.g., Allahabad to Prayagraj
based on its significance of Kumbh Mela at the confluence (Sangam) of holy Ganga and Yamuna.
Renaming can revive civilizational consciousness.
• Identity Politics: Renaming of places has become a tool for identity politics and electoral
mobilization e.g., Aurangabad in Maharashtra has been renamed as Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar.
• Some places/locations have been renamed on the names of political leadership e.g., Connaught
Palace has been renamed as Rajiv Chowk.

What are the Challenges in Renaming of Places?

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• Confusion: In a global connected economy, changing names that have gained universal recognition
sows confusion e.g., Gurgaon to Gurugram.
• Acceptance: Several intangible aspects associated with old names continue to be associated with
the place. So adoption of new name may be low e.g., folks of Varanasi are still called ‘Banarasi’.
• Polarization: Replacing the name may lead to sense of isolation among communities which may feel
that they have not made any meaningful contribution to the collective heritage of India.
o Historians argue that history is too complex to be captured into binaries. Aurangzeb is criticized
for imposing Jizya and destroying Hindu temples. But he also gave grants for temples and had more
Hindu Ministers in his court than any other Mughal Ruler. It is the British that divided Indian
history into Hindu, Muslim and British Rule.
• Economic Costs: Name change costs public money, from revisions in signage, official documents,
maps and assorted data sets.

What should be the approach going ahead?

• Policy: Rapid urbanization will be associated
with major expansion in infrastructure.
Government should formulate a policy
regarding philosophy of naming new roads,
places, towns etc.
• Avoid Politicization: Renaming of places
shouldn’t be driven by purpose of political
mobilization. Places can be renamed after
national heroes like freedom fighters,
martyrs of Armed Forces to honour their
contribution who are above partisan politics.
• Prioritize Growth: Focus should be on
inclusive governance, better planning,
improving infrastructure and prioritizing growth.
• Global Practices: Many large global cities name airports etc. on the name of the cities rather than any
personality. Singapore’s Changi Airport (in Changi suburb) has been named after Chengal Tree. More
than 300 streets in California (US) are named after Oak tree.
The Government and civil society need to make sure that cultural landscapes should include names,
symbols, and languages from all sections of the society across religious, caste and linguistic
communities. No Indian should feel excluded from our collective consciousness.

4. On Women’s Reservation in Parliament and State Legislatures

News: A protest was organized in Delhi to pressurize the Union Government to pass Women’s Reservation
Bill in the Parliament. Representation of Women in Parliament and State Legislatures has remained poor.

What has been the history of political reservation for women?

• The Women’s Bodies including All India Women’s Conference (AIWC), Women’s India Association
(WIA) and the National Council of Women in India (NCWI) sent a letter to the British Prime Minister
in 1931 seeking political reservation.
• The issue of women’s reservation was debated in the Constituent Assembly. However, it was
rejected on the grounds that a democracy is expected to give representation to all groups.
• The Committee on the Status of Women in India, 1971 and The National Perspective Plan for
Women, 1988 recommended reservation of women in the local bodies. The 73rd and 74th Amendments
to the Constitution mandated 33% reservation in local bodies.

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