Rajpath Renamed Kartavya Path: The Government of India (GoI) is all set to rename the iconic Rajpath which streches from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate and and Central Vista Lawns in New Delhi as Kartavya Path (the Path of Duty).

Key Points:

• New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) approved a proposal to rename the street in a special meeting on 7th September 2022 passed the resolution for to rename the historic street.
• A public notice issued by NDMC stated "In exercise of the powers conferred under clause (a) of sub-section (1) of Section 231 of NDMC Act, the chairperson, with the sanction of the council, has approved therenaming of the exiting Rajpath and Central Vista lawns as Kartavya Path."

What is the purpose of renaming the street?

• The renaming of 'Rajpath, which means 'Kingsway' in English to ‘Kartavya Path’ is in line with PM Modi’s thrust on shedding names and symbols reminiscent of the British era and the last vestiges of colonialism.
• Called Kingsway during British rule, it was built as a ceremonial boulevard by Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker, the architects of New Delhi, in around 1920.
• Following the independence of India, the road was given its Hindi name of ‘Rajpath’ in place of its English designation.
• The Queens Way was renamed as Janpath while Kingsway was only translated into Hindi as Rajpath.

Background:

• On August 15, 2022, Prime Minister Modi stressed the importance of getting rid of names and symbols that come from the colonial mindset when addressing the nation from the Red Fort ramparts on India's 75th Independence Day, Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.
• These steps are in line with Prime Minister’s second ‘Panch Pran’ for New India in Amrit Kaal: ‘remove any trace of colonial mindset.
• The renaming of Rajpath also comes in the wake of proposals to rename 40 villages and localities in Delhi which have foreign or 'Mughal' sounding names.

About Kartvya Path:

• The Kartavya Path, which translates to "Boulevard of Duty," stretches from Rashtrapati Bhavan (President’s House) on Raisina Hill, through Vijay Chowk to India Gate.
• It stretches westward from the National Stadium through the War Memorial arch (India Gate), to the Central Secretariat buildings.
• This iconic road is also flanked by the north and south blocks, also called as the Secretariat buildings, on either side with the north block that homes the offices of the Home and Finance Ministers and the south block that homes the offices of the Defence and External Affairs Ministers.
• It also houses numerous offices of the Prime Minister seen in the Secretariat Building.
• Considered to be one of the most important roads in India, the annual Republic Day parade takes place here on 26 January. 
• The British built Rasthtrapati Bhavan, to house the head of their government in India, such as Lord Mountbatten which currently houses the President of the country. 
• The British made India Gate in memory of the soldiers from WW1 and II. 
• The Rajpath connects these famous architectural marvels, and the gardens, fountains.
• It crosses through Janpath (meaning "People's Way") Road that leads to Connaught Place in central Delhi and at Vijay Chowk it crosses Sansad Marg or Road flanked with the Parliament House on its right-hand side.
• Vijay Chowk is also famous for hosting the special ceremony named ‘Beating Retreat’ organised every year on 29th January by the Defence personnel that is attended by the President of India and the Head of all States.
• It is also used for the funeral processions of key political leaders of India.

History:

• When built the road was named King’s Way, or Kingsway, in honour of the Emperor of India George V, who had visited Delhi during the Durbar of 1911, and where the Emperor formally proclaimed the decision to move the capital.
• The name was similar to Kingsway in London, which had been opened in 1905, and which was also a custom-built arterial road, and which had been named in honour of George V’s father, Edward VII (as King of the United Kingdom).

Significant Name Changes in New Delhi:

• Renaming of cities as an official exercise was first undertaken after 1947 when there was a concerted push to rename Anglicised and English colonial names of cities.

Here are five of the significant name changes in Delhi since 2014:

Aurangzeb Road (2015):

• The elite street, named after Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, was changed in 2015 to APJ Abdul Kalam Road after the death of the latter in 2015.

Race Course Road (2016):

• Nearly 36 years after its construction, the Race Course Road which is home to some of the most powerful personalities in India was renamed as Lok Kalyan Marg in September 2016 by the NDMC.

Dalhousie Road (2017):

• After first proposing to rename Dalhousie Road in 2014, the NDMC implemented the change in 2017.
• The name of the street was changed to Darah Sikoh Road as a tribute to Dara Sikoh, the son of Mughal ruler Shah Jahan.

Teen Murti Chowk (2018):

• The roundabout around the historic war memorial in Central Delhi, which was formerly known as Teen Murti Chowk, was renamed Teen Murti Haifa Chowk in 2018 to mark 100 years of the historic Battle of Haifa in Israel.
• By defeating Ottoman Empire forces as well as their German allies, Indian soldiers fighting under the British Army had played an important role in the decisive victory of Israel at the time.
• The move by the Centre was intended as a symbolic tribute to the friendship between India and Israel and also a sign of growing camaraderie between the two nations under PM Modi.

Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium (2019):

• In 2019, the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) renamed Feroz Shah Kotla Cricket Stadium as Arun Jaitley stadium as a tribute to the former Union Minister's contribution to cricket in India.
• A stand inside the stadium was named after Indian skipper and former national captain Virat Kohli.