Modi Govt To SC In 2016: No Need For India To Become Bharat

In 2016, the Supreme Court of India dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking to rename the country 'Bharat' instead of 'India' for all purposes, stating, "Bharat or India? If you want to call it Bharat, go right ahead. Someone wants to call it India, let him call it India." The bench of Chief Justice T.S. Thakur and Justice U.U. Lalit at that time reprimanded the petitioner, emphasizing that PILs are meant to address issues concerning the poor.

During the hearing, the court reiterated that there was no need to consider changing Article 1 of the Constitution of India, which states, "India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States." The Ministry of Home Affairs opposed the PIL, stating that the country's name had been extensively debated and unanimously adopted by the Constituent Assembly during the drafting of the Constitution. The ministry argued that there had been no significant change in circumstances to warrant a review of this matter.

These remarks by the Supreme Court are significant in light of the recent controversy over a G20 dinner invitation addressing the President of India as the "President of Bharat." The court's previous stance reinforces the Constitutional name and the consensus reached during its formation.

Author: Anushka Taraniya

News Writer, MIT ADT University