Eight Railway Station in Amethi, Uttar Pradesh Renamed

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has issued a no-objection certificate to approve the change in the names of eight railway stations in Amethi, Uttar Pradesh.

Amethi, which is a high-profile Lok Sabha constituency, is currently represented by the Union Minister for Women and Child Development and Minority Affairs, Mrs.Smriti Irani. In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, she had defeated Congrees leader Rahul Gandhi. She is again contesting the  2024 Lok Sabha election from Amethi. 

Eight railway stations whose names have been changed 

The government has approved the change in the name of the following eight stations of Amethi.

• Fursatganj Railway Station as Tapeshwarnath Dham,
• Kasimpur Halt as Jais City,
• Jais City as Guru Gorakhnath Dham,
• Bani as Swami Paramhans, 
• Misrauli as Maa Kalikan Dham, 
• Nihalgarh as Maharaja Bijli Pasi,
• Akbarganj as Maa Kalikan Dham, 
• Warisganj as Amar Shahid Bhale Sultan

Procedure for Change of name of a town or city or Railway Station

• The Union Ministry of Home Affairs issued a guideline in 1953 for the procedure to be followed for the change in the name of a city, town or railway station. The guideline was modified by the ministry in 2002.
• As per the guidelines, the concerned State government has to submit proposals for renaming a town/ city/ village/ railway station to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. The Home Ministry then consults the Geographical Survey of India, the Department of Post, and the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
• The Home Ministry, after being satisfied, issues a no-objection certificate to the state government approving the change in the name of the town, city, or railway station.
• After receiving the no-objection certificate from the Home Ministry, the concerned state government publishes the name in its Gazette.

Recent name changes of city/town or railway stations

• On 15 December  2018, the name of Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, was changed to Prayagraj.
• In 2022, the Ministry of Home Affairs approved changing the name of the nagar panchayat 'Mundera Baazar' to' Chauri Chaura' in Gorakhpur and the village' Telia Afghan' to Telia Uttar Pradesh. 
• In 2021, Madhya Pradesh‘s Hoshangabad name was changed to Narmadapuram.. 
• In 2022, the birthplace of Makhan Lal Chaturvedi’s Babai in Madhya Pradesh was renamed Makhan Nagar.

Change in the name of a State 

• Article 3 of the Indian constitution deals with the procedure for changing the name of a State. 
• The bill that seeks to change the name of a state can be introduced in either House of the Parliament-  Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha by the central government on the recommendation of the President.;
• However, before the bill is introduced in the Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha, the President has to refer it to the concerned state legislature for its opinion. The President specifies a time period within which the state legislature has to express its opinion.
• If the state legislature does not pass the bill within the specified time period then the bill is introduced in the Parliament.
• The opinion of the state legislature is not binding on the President.
• A simple majority is required in the parliament to pass the bill. 
• The President signs the bill, and it becomes an Act. The President notifies the date from which the law will come into effect.

This procedure was followed in changing the name of Uttranchal to Uttrakhand on 1 January  2007 and Orissa to Odisha in 2011.