NDMC passes proposal to rename Delhi's Rajpath: New name, history, significance

The New Delhi Municipal Council has approved a proposal to rename the iconic Rajpath, formerly known as The Kingsway. Lok Sabha MP Meenakshi Lekhi confirmed that the proposal was approved in a meeting of the NDMC council. The new name of the pathway will be 'Kartavya Path' or the path of duty.

The proposal to rename Rajpath was brought by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. The entire stretch -- the area from the statue of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose to the Rashtriya Bhavan will be called 'Kartavya Path'. 

Rajpath links Rashtrapati Bhavan, Vikay Chowk, India Gate, National War Memorial, and National Stadium in Delhi. It is flanked by important government offices and Parliament. It is one of the most protected and important roads in the country. On 26 January every year, a grand parade is organized on the Rajpath every year by the Government of India where the country's military showcase its might and states present their tableaux.

In 1911, the British government decided to shift its capital from Kolkata to Delhi. It tasked Edwin Lutyens to construct New Delhi, a new capital in the heart of the ancient city. He designed the entire area around the Rajpath, including Parliament, Rashtrapati Bhavan and the north-south blocks. The Rashtrapati Bhavan at the Raisina Hills was formerly the house of the viceroy of India. Lutyens wanted that the viceroy to have an unhindered view of the entire area. 

It was called Kingway to honor George 5, the then emperor of India. After Independence, it was named Rajpath, a Hindi word that loosely translates to the king's way. However, after over seven decades, the government of India decided to do away with its colonial legacy and rechristened it the 'Kartavya Path' or the path to duty.

It is part of the Central Vista project started by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government under which the area's structures will be rebuilt and refurbished.