(Image source from: Kashmirobserver.net)

Article 1 of the Constitution uses two names, India, that was Bharat, shall be a union of states. But now there is strong speculation that the country name India will be changed to Bharat. Even the Reserve Bank of India and Indian Railways have a version of Bharathiya. In 2020 June there was a PIL in the Supreme Court seeking to remove India from the constitution and retain it as only Bharat.

Name Bharat is from Hindu puranas. Bharat is from the roots of Bharata or Bharatvarsha is from the Puranic literature and the epic Mahabharat. The sea in the South and the abode of snow in the north, are reasons behind calling it Bharat.

There is a buzz that the Narendra Modi government is likely going to pass a resolution of name change in the coming parliament sessions that is in between September 18-22.

As a surprise, In official G20 dinner invitations, the Indian president was represented as the President of Bharat and not the President of India. The G20 dinner is hosted on September 9th.

BJP leaders are coming out in support of renaming the country as Bharat including Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. BJP leaders say that congress leaders have a problem with everything and go for a debate.