If a request is made to formally change the name of 'India' to 'Bharat', the United Nations would consider it, a UN spokesperson said on Wednesday -- and, going by a recent precedent, it would probably take just a letter from External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.
Asked by a Chinese media reporter what would be the process to change the name if India were to make a request similar to Turkey’s, which changed its name to Turkiye, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’s Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq said, “In the case of Turkiye, we responded to a formal request delivered to us by the government. Obviously, if we get requests like that [from India for changing its name], we will consider them as well."
Turkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan changed its name internationally to conform to the Turkish language name last year and just a letter from Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusogalu to Guterres made the new nomenclature formal at the UN.
Guterres’s Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said at that time that as soon the letter from Cavusogalu asking for a name change was received on June 1 last year, it went into effect.
India’s Constitution also refers to the country as Bharat.
Describing the nation, the Constitution says, “India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States."
A dinner invitation sent to the leaders attending the G20 Summit from President Droupadi Murmu with her title "President of Bharat" in English has stirred speculation that the name India is going to be abandoned.
It has become a politically fraught issue after the opposition coalition named itself the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance with 'INDIA' as its acronym ahead of next year’s election campaign.
The ruling BJP uses 'Bharatiya' in its name, while also using the English word 'Party'. The opposition Congress has styled itself the Indian National Congress from the time it was formed in 1885, becoming the driver of the Independence movement.


Tripura BJP to Focus on Organisational Strength Ahead of Upcoming Polls
BJP state president Abhishek Debroy has said that strengthening the party organisation at every level will remain the BJP's top priority as it prepares for the upcoming electoral battles in the state.
Governor Urges Mass Participation in Anti-Drug Drive at Tripura University
Calling drug addiction one of the most serious challenges confronting society, Governor Indra Sena Reddy Nallu urged citizens to join hands in the fight against narcotics, stressing that a drug-free society can only be achieved through collective public participation.
IGP holds review meeting in Gomati, stresses on intelligence-based policing
Tripura Police’s Inspector General of Police (IGP), Law and Order Branch, Manchak Eppar, IPS, visited the Gomati District Police Headquarters to assess the district’s law and order situation, crime prevention strategies and the overall progress of policing activities.
Stolen auto recovered from in Bishramganj, police launch probe
Bishramganj Police have recovered a stolen CNG auto-rickshaw from a rubber plantation near the new petrol pump area along the National Highway late Saturday night.
Auto Drivers Protest Traffic Enforcement in Kamalasagar
Tension briefly flared in the Lembutuli area of Kamalasagar on Sunday after an enforcement drive against the use of black window films (sun-control films) on vehicles led to a confrontation between Bishalgarh Police and auto-rickshaw drivers.
Garbage dumping row triggers protest in Kamalpur
Alleged dumping of garbage into a privately owned pond in Rishipara under Ward No. 2 of the Kamalpur Nagar Panchayat in Dhalai district has sparked outrage among local residents, who have demanded immediate intervention by the administration to address the growing environmental and public health concerns.
Police personnel accused of performing duty under influence of alcohol at Mata Bari; Probe Demanded
Allegations that a police personnel was performing duty under the influence of alcohol at the revered Mata Tripura Sundari Temple in Udaipur, Gomati district, have triggered widespread concern, with the incident drawing significant attention on social media.
Woman dies, minor injured after car crashes into house in South
A 45-year-old woman lost her life and a 10-year-old girl was injured after a WagonR car allegedly went out of control and hit them near Kalachhara Railway Station in South Tripura district on Sunday morning.