Rajpath rename: New name Kartavya Path approved ahead of Central Vista Avenue inauguration

The historical Rajpath will now be known as "Kartavya Path". Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the refurbished `Kartavya Path` or Central Vista Avenue on Thursday.

Announcing this, Meenakshi Lekhi, Union Minister of State for External Affairs & Culture said that it will reaffirm commitment to serve our motherland in this `Amritkaal`.

"As we complete 75 yrs of Independence, it is only fitting to shed the colonial baggage & move towards India@100 in the Amritkaal our own legacy. The renaming of "Rajpath" to "Kartavyapath" is a reminder that d spirit of public service is not "right to rule" but "duty to serve," the Lok Sabha MP tweeted.

"Congratulations to all the citizens on this landmark decision. It shall reaffirm our commitment to serve our motherland in this Amritkaal," she expressed.

Earlier, on Wednesday, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) approved a proposal to rename Rajpath as `Kartavya Path`. Following the approval, the entire stretch and area from the Netaji statue at India Gate to the Rashtrapati Bhavan is now called Kartavya Path.

It symbolises a shift from erstwhile Rajpath being an icon of power to Kartavya Path being an example of public ownership and empowerment. The Prime Minister will also unveil the statue of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose at India Gate on the occasion. These steps are in line with the Prime Minister`s second `Panch Pran` for New India in Amrit Kaal: `remove any trace of colonial mindset`.

The statue of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, which will be unveiled by the Prime Minister, is being installed in the same place where a hologram statue of Netaji was unveiled earlier this year on Parakram Diwas (January 23) by him. The statue, made of granite, is a fitting tribute to the immense contribution of Netaji to our freedom struggle, and would be a symbol of the country`s indebtedness to him.

Crafted by Shri Arun Yogiraj, who is the main sculptor, the 28 feet tall statue has been carved from a monolithic granite stone and weighs 65 MT.