SRINAGAR: The Union Home Ministry (MHA) has advised all States and Union Territories to rename the official residences of Governors and Lieutenant Governors, replacing the colonial-era term “Raj Bhavan” with “Lok Bhavan” and “Raj Niwas” with “Lok Niwas”.
According to a communication issued on November 25 to the principal secretaries and secretaries to Governors and Lieutenant Governors, the MHA stated that the suggestions emerged during the Conference of Governors 2024, reported news agency Kashmir Dot Com.
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.
Following the advisory, the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh became one of the first to implement the change, formally renaming the Raj Niwas in Leh as Lok Niwas.
“This is a historic moment for Ladakh. Today, Raj Niwas has been officially renamed as Lok Niwas, symbolising our deep commitment to people-centric governance and inclusive development,” the Office of the Lt Governor of Ladakh, Kavinder Gupta, said in a post on X formerly as twitter.
Similarly, the West Bengal Governor has also approved the renaming of the Raj Bhavan in Kolkata as “Lok Bhavan”.
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. (KDC)
