The Cabinet Secretariat, sources said, is now aggressively pursuing this exercise. It has asked central ministries and departments to suggest ways to end centuries-old practices that continue in Parliament, courtrooms and government files.

According to reliable sources, some of the government departments have already shared their inputs.

Some archaic practices recommended for removal include replacing the tradition of addressing judges in courts as 'Milord' or "Your Honour", wearing wigs and counting votes in Parliament as "Ayes and Noes".

"We had been nudged not to use some common words not linked to our culture in our news bulletins," recalled an official with the national broadcaster.

Colonial Symbols of Slavery

Modi, in his 2022 address to the nation on the occasion of Independence Day, vowed to shed the vestiges of the colonial past.

"In no part of our existence, not even in the deepest corners of our mind or habits, should there be any ounce of slavery. It should be nipped there itself. We have to liberate ourselves from the slavery mindset which is visible in innumerable things within and around us," the PM had said from the ramparts of Red Fort.

With Modi making his intent clear, the administrative hierarchy has taken up the exercise in implementing the agenda on a war footing. For instance, officials in All India Radio most often refer the organisation as "Aakashvani".

The Rechristening Exercise

Some of the notable renaming of cities by the BJP government include changing the name of Allahabad to Prayagraj, Faizabad to Ayodhya and Aurangabad to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.

Notably, the name of iconic Rajpath, the stretch at India Gate which witnesses India's military might on Republic Day, has been changed to "Kartavya Path."

In the year 2016, the Modi government renamed 7 Race Course Road, which houses the official residence of the Prime Minister of India, as 7 Lok Kalyan Marg.

After winning the State Elections in Bihar in 2025, BJP politician Maithili Thakur promised to rename Alinagar, her constituency, as Sitanagar.  It was also one of her primary promises during her election campaign.  

The exercise of rechristening roads and cities is not new. It is not just the Centre that has been implementing this. Several states have also resorted to this exercise.

Past Bids

The anglicised names of some of the top cities were changed in the past. They include rechristening Calcutta as Kolkata, Bombay as Mumbai, Madras as Chennai and Bangalore as Bengaluru. Linguistic and political factors also played a role in such decisions.

Following the change in names of Calcutta, Bombay and Madras, the government introduced the High Courts (Alteration of Names) Bill in the Lok Sabha on June 19, 2016. The Bill, however, was not taken up for discussion and passage during the term of the Lower House and hence lapsed. 

Also, the name of Orissa was changed to Odisha and the city of Gauhati to Guwahati. 

Jury Is Still Out

Several experts said that India, which is aiming to become a developed nation by 2047, needs to rediscover its ancient glory rooted in the cultural ethos.

Nalin Kohli, BJP spokesperson said that the exercise is based on “historical factors and local sentiments.”

 “Overall, whenever the concerned government, including those in the states, finds a cogent demand for altering names of places or roads, it is incumbent to take appropriate steps," he said.

Harish Bijoor, Brand Guru & Founder, Harish Bijoor Consults Inc however, said, "I think we should let history be history. Erasing history may be taken as a sign of insecurity. I do believe what happened, happened. Let bygone be bygone."

(The writer is an independent journalist. Views are personal.)