India mulls renaming the country to “Bharat”

India hosted the G20 summit this weekend, and dinner invitations were sent out in the name of “President Bharat.” This is the first time that the government has used the name “Bharat” in an official English document, Turanews.kz reports.

The name “Bharat” is the Hindi word for India. It is also mentioned in the country’s Constitution, which states that “India, that is, Bharat, shall be a union of states.” However, the English translation of the Constitution uses the word “India” throughout.

The Narendra Modi government has apparently decided to change this long-standing practice. In a press release on the occasion of the ASEAN-India summit, Narendra Modi himself is called the “Prime Minister of Bharat.”

The Indian Parliament is scheduled to discuss the issue of renaming the country on September 18. If the Parliament approves the change.