From ‘Ahankar’ to ‘Bhayankar’: Why Rajasthan withdrew student renaming plan

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The order issued by Joint Secretary Munni Meena said that, “a person's name reflects their personality, values, and social image. Written by: Hamza Khan4 min readJaipurApr 19, 2026 07:00 AM IST Congress state president Govind Singh Dotasra termed the suggestions as an “insensitive and a crude joke at the expense of children's self-respect.” Make us preferred source on Google Whatsapp twitter Facebook Reddit PRINT Following the ridicule of some of the names it suggested, the Rajasthan Government has withdrawn its order for renaming of negative or complex student names with ‘better’ ones. Talking to The Indian Express, School Education Minister Madan Dilawar said that the order has been “withdrawn.” On April 13, the government had come up with the ‘Sarthak Naam Abhiyaan’, a campaign to help students avoid ridicule and help with their self-confidence. The order issued by Joint Secretary Munni Meena said that, “a person’s name reflects their personality, values, and social image. Upon hearing a name, an image of that person forms in our minds. Names reflect a person’s identity and uniqueness. Each name carries a meaning, a sentiment, and a cultural context. Names also influence a person’s self-confidence and behavior. A good, simple, and positive name enhances pride and self-confidence, while names with complex or negative meanings can sometimes cause sankoch (hesitation).” As per the government’s instructions, those students studying in government schools between classes 1 to 9, “whose names seem meaningless or negative, which has an adverse effect on their self-confidence, the ‘Sarthak Naam Abhiyaan’ is to be conducted with the aim of making the names of such students more meaningful, simple and correct. The main objective of this campaign is to select and change (negative) names to those which have positive meaning and prove to be helpful in the self-esteem and personality development of the students”. However, the accompanying list of the 1,409 suggested names for boys and 1,541 for girls had names like Ahankar, Akhandit, Makhan, Ugra Singh, Thana Singh and Becharadas for boys, while those for girls included Bhayankar, Bhiksha, Rakshabandhan, Bijli, Lajja, Sati, as well as Rajnigandha and Rajshri; although Rajnigandha is a flower, some parents opposed the suggestion saying that both Rajnigandha and Rajshri are not suitable as they’re associated with Pan Masala brands and defeat the very purpose of the campaign. Additionally, the list featured mostly Hindu names, leaving much of the state’s diversity underrepresented. Other issues with the list included duplication with different spellings. For example, Balveer is spelt in English as Balbeer, Balbir and Balveer; Krishnadatta and Krishnadutt; Asavari and Asawari; and Manoranjani and Manorangini, among others. As per the government, the campaign was to be implemented “in a completely voluntary and sensitive manner,” and that “there should be no compulsion” by the administration to change a name and that “voluntary name change should be done only with the written consent of the student/guardian and as per the rules.” Congress state president Govind Singh Dotasra termed the suggestions as an “insensitive and a crude joke at the expense of children’s self-respect.” “When lakhs of teacher positions lie vacant in the state’s schools, school buildings are dilapidated, there aren’t even toilets for girls, quality education is lacking, and student welfare schemes are at a standstill—it’s a disgrace. At such a time, instead of addressing these basic problems, this drama is being staged,” Dotasra said. Sanyukt Abhibhavak Sangh, a parents’ association, claimed that the campaign was an attempt to divert attention from core problems of the education department. Its state spokesperson Abhishek Jain said that the state already faces serious problems such as the disorder in government schools, rising dropout rates, a severe teacher shortage, lack of resources, and arbitrary fees, textbooks, uniforms, and transportation charges by private schools. Additionally, even students selected under the RTE scheme are not being provided with proper education, which is extremely worrying, he said. Hamza Khan is a seasoned Correspondent for The Indian Express, specifically reporting from the diverse and politically dynamic state of Rajasthan. Based in Jaipur, he provides high-authority coverage on the state's governance, legal landscape, and social issues, directly supporting the "Journalism of Courage" ethos of the publication. Expertise Politics & Governance: Comprehensive tracking of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly, including policy changes (e.g., the Right to Health Bill and Anti-Mob Lynching Bills), bypoll dynamics, and the shifting power structures between the BJP and Congress. ... Read More Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram