Proposal for Renaming of West Bengal

Prelims: Current events of national and international importance | Polity

Why in News?

West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya stated that a bill would be introduced in the first session of the state Assembly to rename West Bengal as “Paschim Banga.”

The proposal seeks to link the state's official name with its historical and cultural identity.

cinstitutional provision for name change

Procedure for Renaming a State

Presidential Recommendation – A bill under Article 3 may be introduced in Parliament solely upon the recommendation of the President.
Reference to the State Legislature – If the proposal concerns the name of a state, the President refers the bill to the relevant state legislature to obtain its views within a specified period.
Parliamentary Legislation – Parliament examines and passes the bill using the standard legislative process.
Presidential Assent – The bill attains the status of law upon receiving the President's assent.

nime step name change for states by union

Historical Background of West Bengal's Renaming Proposals

Year	Development
1999	The Left Front government proposed the name Paschim Banga.
2011	After the Trinamool Congress came to power, the state again proposed Paschim Banga.
2016	The state considered different names in Bengali, English and Hindi before proposing Bangla in all three languages.
July 2018	The West Bengal Assembly passed a resolution proposing the name Bangla.
2019	The Union government informed the Rajya Sabha that the proposed change had not been approved.
October 2026	BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya announced the intention to introduce a Bill proposing Paschim Banga.

Reference

TOI | Proposal for Renaming of West Bengal

WWF Living Planet Report 2026

Environmental-Economic Accounts in India 2026–2030

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