From Rajpath to Kartavya Path: How are names of Roads Changed: Explained

New Delhi, Sep 08: The stretch of the road from India Gate to Rashtrapati Bhawan that has been called 'Rajpath' all these years has now been renamed as 'Kartavya Path.' The revamped area around it, the Central Vista will be inaugurated today, September 8 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

On Wednesday a special meeting was convened by the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) to complete the necessary procedures to rename Rajpath as well as the Central Vista lawns.

Earlier the Race Course Road and Aurangzeb Road were renamed to Lok Kalyan Marg and A P J Abdul Kalam Road respectively. Recently there have also been demands to rename Akbar, Babur, Tuqlaq and Shahjahan Roads. However did you know that there is a procedure to rename roads? Let us explain to you how roads are renamed in India.

The authority:

The authority to rename the roads lies with the government agency which has a jurisdiction over the particular area. In the case of Delhi it is the NDMC which has this authority to rename roads when a request is made. The procedure is followed under the New Delhi Municipal Council Act 1994. Under this roads can be named, renamed and the number of the streets can also be given.

The procedure:

In the case of Delhi, once a request is received it is directed to the general administration department of the NDMC. A council with 13 persons overseen by the NDMC's chairperson then discusses the proposal following which a decision is taken.

If the resolution is passed it is sent to the State Road Naming Authority of the Delhi government's Urban Development Department for approval. If a decree is passed to change the name of the road, the NDMC sends a letter to the postmaster general of Delhi indicating that the name change has been accepted.

The criteria:

The criteria is based on the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs. The request to rename the road should have a historical context and must respect the sentiments of the people.

The council should also be of the opinion that there is a need to recognise the personality whose name is to be given to the street in question, the guidelines also say.

The new name also should not cause confusion for post offices and the public. The guidelines further state that the name of the roads should not be changed unless there are pressing reasons to do so.