Will Accept Bharat As India’s New Name If Formalities Are Complete: UN

When New Delhi completes all necessary procedures, the UN “will change India’s name to Bharat in UN records,” a representative for the international organization told NDTV today. India will inform us when the necessary steps are taken to change the name, and we will update the name in the UN records, according to Stephane Dujarric, principal spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General.

The statement comes days after a huge controversy broke out over the shift to India from Bharat in the dinner invitation from President Droupadi Murmu to foreign leaders attending the G20 summit this weekend.
“It’s not for the UN to comment on the debate,” Mr. Dujarric, who was speaking on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Delhi, said.

The UN will also change the name once the legalities are completed. When it comes to what the UN must do, it’s a bureaucratic problem, he noted.

If the name is changed at all, India won’t be the first nation. There is a lengthy list of nations whose names have been altered for political, social, or other reasons.

The top UN official added that “history has shown that it has happened a number of times for several countries” and used Turkey’s name change to Turkey last year as an illustration.

The Center purportedly wants to keep the name Bharat for the nation instead of removing India. According to a number of ministers and BJP officials, “Bharat” has been “in use from time immemorial,” hence there is no reason for a problem.