NEW DELHI: The iconic Rajpath is set to get a new identity once again after 75 years as the Centre has decided to rename the stretch as ‘Kartavya Path’. About a 3-km-long boulevard, developed as a triumphal avenue in the new capital city of British India, was originally named after King George V. Then, it was called Kingsway. After Independence, the name was changed to Rajpath.
The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has convened a special meeting on September 7 in which the proposal for renaming the road will be placed for formal approval since naming or renaming of a road or public place is the authority of the concerned municipal agency, according to senior officials.
The historical stretch, which has been refurbished as part of the Central Vistra Redevelopment Project, will be thrown open to the public a day after its inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday. He will also unveil a 28-feet tall statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose being placed under the canopy at India Gate.
The roads in the British Indian capital--New Delhi--were named after British viceroys and high-ranking officials when they were inaugurated in 1931. After India got Independence, they were renamed after national leaders to recognise their contributions and growth of the country. By 1972, the names of about 70 roads in Lutyuns’ Delhi had been changed.
In recent years, the government has renamed a couple of prominent avenues in New Delhi. Lok Kalyan Marg, where the official residence of the PM is located, was known as Race Course Road till 2016. The name of (Lord) Dalhousie Road was changed to Dara Shikoh Road in 2017. Earlier in 2015, Aurangzeb Road was renamed as Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Road.
Rajpath is out of bounds for people since it was closed in February. The redevelopment project was supposed to be completed by December 2021.
PM-SHRI scheme for 14,500 govt schools
PM Narendra Modi on Monday announced to develop and upgrade 14,500 government schools across the country under the Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India (PM-SHRI) Yojna. “I am certain that the PM-SHRI schools will further benefit lakhs of students across India in the spirit of NEP,” he tweeted.