India vs. Bharat: Check, What Does the Constitution Say About the Name?

The highly anticipated G20 Summit that is going to be held in New Delhi on September 9 and 10 is creating controversies before it’s even started. A G20 dinner invite was sent out, referring to Droupadi Murmu, the President as the ‘President of Bharat’ instead of ‘India.’ This dinner invite has sparked a debate in the country, with the Opposition making claims that the Central government will officially change the country’s name from India to Bharat. 

Let’s find out what the Indian Constitution says about the name. 

Related | G20 Summit New Delhi 2023: Schedule, Venue, and Participating Countries. Everything You Need to Know.

VIDEO | "The Modi government has taken all steps to make India a real Bharat. We will flourish more with the name Bharat. India name was given by the British," says Adish C Aggarwala, president, Supreme Court Bar Association on the debate over words 'India' and 'Bharat' in the… pic.twitter.com/jpudf9C1fC

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 5, 2023

Article 1 of the Constitution

Article 1 of the Constitution states that “India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States. The States and the territories thereof shall be as specified in the First Schedule.

The territory of India shall comprise —

• the territories of the States;
• the Union territories specified in the First Schedule; and
• such other territories as may be acquired.” 

As mentioned above, Article 1 of the Constitution recognises both 'India' and 'Bharat' as official names for the country. In simpler words, one can either refer to the nation as India or Bharat, as both of the names are acceptable. However, the name is globally used and recognized.

This is not the first time something like this has happened. In 2016, the Supreme Court rejected a PIL to change India’s name to Bharat. The then-Chief JusticeTS  Thakur stated at the time that if someone wished to call it India, they could do so, and if one preferred to name it Bharat, that would be acceptable as well. 

History of Bharat/India

The name 'Bharat' has existed since ancient times. Shreds of evidence of it can be found in ancient Hindu Epics and scriptures such as the Mahabharata. The name 'India' was used after the country was colonised by the East India Company. They coined the name after the Indus River, which flows through the northwest of the country. After India gained independence in 1947, it had to decide on an official name. The framers of the Constitution decided to opt for both Bharat and India, recognizing the linguistic and cultural diversity of the country. Since then, "India" has become globally recognised, whereas "Bharat" persists in Hindi and other Indian languages. 

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