The term "President of Bharat" has been used for the first time in an official invite to foreign leaders attending the weekend G20 summit, replacing the traditional "President of India". This marks a significant shift in nomenclature on the international stage as the country hosts the mega event featuring US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak among others.
President Droupadi Murmu's invite to G20 foreign leaders and Chief Ministers for a dinner on September 9, says: "President of Bharat" instead of "President of India".
Officials say this is the first change of India's nomenclature for any official event.
The term "Bharat" is also in the Constitution, officials point out. "India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States," it says in Article 1 of the Constitution.
"Bharat" has also been used in a G20 booklet handed to foreign delegates, titled "Bharat, The Mother Of Democracy", to highlight, in India's G20 presidency, its rich democratic ethos for thousands of years.
"In Bharat that is India, taking the consent of the people in governance has been part of life since earliest recorded history," are the opening words of the booklet. It goes on to say: "Bharat is the official name of the country. It is mentioned in the Constitution as also in the discussions of 1946-48".
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