President of India: Raised debate from President dinner invitation letter

In a surprising news, in an invitation to G20 foreign leaders and Chief Ministers from President Droupadi Murmu for a dinner on September 9, printed as, "President of Bharat" instead of "President of India".

The term "President of Bharat" has been used for the first time in an official invite to foreign leaders attending the weekend G20 summit, replacing the traditional "President of India".

Officials say this is the first change of India's nomenclature for any official event.

The term "Bharat" is also in the Constitution, officials point out. "India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States," it says in Article 1 of the Constitution.

On a international stage like G20 where the country hosts the mega event featuring US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak among others, this move marks a significant shift in nomenclature.

Welcoming this move Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said, "This should have happened earlier. This gives great satisfaction to the mind. 'Bharat' is our introduction. We are proud of it. The President has given priority to 'Bharat'. This is the biggest statement to come out of the colonial mindset," he said.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was among the first to cheer the big change. "REPUBLIC OF BHARAT - happy and proud that our civilisation is marching ahead boldly towards AMRIT KAAL," he posted on X, formerly Twitter.