Home Ministry orders replacing ‘Raj Bhavan’ With ‘Lok Bhavan’ & ‘Raj Niwas’ with ‘Lok Niwas’ to end “smacks of colonialism”

STC NEWS DESK
SRINAGAR, DECEMBER 01 (STC): A change in the nomenclature of the official residences of Governors and Lieutenant Governors has been ordered by the Union Home Ministry (MHA).
Traditionally, “Raj Bhavan” refers to the official residence of a State Governor, while “Raj Niwas” designates the residence of a Lieutenant Governor in a Union Territory.
The ministry in a communication issued on November 25 to the principal secretaries and secretaries to Governors and Lieutenant Governors,has advised all States and Union Territories to replaceo the colonial-era term “Raj Bhavan” with “Lok Bhavan” and “Raj Niwas” with “Lok Niwas”.
According to the communication, the MHA has stated that the suggestions emerged during the Conference of Governors 2024.
The ministry noted that the term “Raj Bhavan” “smacks of colonialism”, and recommended adopting the more people-centric titles “Lok Bhavan” for Governors’ residences and “Lok Niwas” for those of Lieutenant Governors.
Notably, the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh became one of the first to implement the change, formally renaming the Raj Niwas in Leh as Lok Niwas.
Similarly, the West Bengal Governor has also approved the renaming of the Raj Bhavan in Kolkata as “Lok Bhavan”.
(Straight Talk Communications)