NDMC approves proposal to rename Rajpath as ‘Kartavya Path’

The New Delhi Municipal Council agreed with the reasoning behind the name change

View of Rajpath at the Central Vista Avenue, in New Delhi. Credit: PTI Photo

The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), on Wednesday, approved a proposal to rename Rajpath as ‘Kartavya Path’.

Lok Sabha member, and Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture, Meenakshi Lekhi said the proposal was approved in a special meeting of the NDMC.

“The renaming of ‘Rajpath’ to ‘Kartavya Path’ is a reminder that the spirit of public service is not ‘right to rule’ but a ‘duty to serve’,” she said.

Also Read: From Kingsway to Kartavya Path, a brief history of the iconic boulevard

The NDMC held a special meeting to approve a proposal by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs of renaming Rajpath. Following the approval, the entire stretch and area from the Netaji statue at India Gate to the Rashtrapati Bhavan will now be known as Kartavya Path. Rajpath was known as Kingsway during British Rule.

The name Rajpath—meaning the path of the state or rule—was a translated change from the original colonial name, Kingsway. Kartavya Path literally means the path of duty.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the entire stretch on September 8. The stretch has been renovated under the government’s Central Vista redevelopment project.