HC Directs Centre to Decide on Renaming India to Bharat or Hindustan

The debate over renaming India is gaining momentum, as the Delhi High Court has directed the Central Government to expedite its decision on changing the country's name to Bharat or Hindustan. The court emphasized the need to adhere to the Supreme Court’s 2020 order and instructed government lawyers to ensure proper communication with the relevant ministries.

The petition, originally filed by petitioner Namaha, was submitted to the Supreme Court in 2020. At the time, the apex court ruled that it should be treated as a representative petition and forwarded to the concerned ministries for consideration. However, with no action taken, the petitioner approached the Delhi High Court for further intervention.

Senior advocate Sanjeev Sagar, representing the petitioner, urged the authorities to reach an early decision on the matter. In response, the High Court has now directed the government to notify the petitioner after due consideration.

The petitioner argued that despite the Supreme Court’s order, the Centre had not provided any updates regarding the decision. It claimed that the name India does not fully reflect the country’s cultural and historical heritage, whereas Bharat would better represent its identity and help break free from colonial influences.

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The petition called for an amendment to Article 1 of the Constitution, which currently states, "India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States." Historical references were also cited, pointing to discussions in 1948 when the Constituent Assembly debated whether to name the country Bharat or Hindustan instead of India.