Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 30 (NationPress) The official residence of the Governor in Kerala, known as Raj Bhavan, is poised to undergo a significant transformation on December 1, as it will be renamed Lok Bhavan. This change signifies a crucial symbolic rebranding within the state's administrative framework.

Governor Rajendra Arlekar, who is currently in Goa, is anticipated to release the official notification on Monday. Following this announcement, the address will be officially referred to as Lok Bhavan, Kerala. This renaming aligns with the Union government's initiative to eliminate colonial-era terminology from the nation’s administrative lexicon.

On November 25, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) directed all Raj Bhavans throughout India to embrace the new designation of Lok Bhavan, while residences of Lieutenant Governors will now be termed Lok Niwas.

Governor Arlekar initially suggested this idea during the Governors’ Conference in 2024, advocating that the new name would foster a closer connection between the Governor’s office and the public. He stressed that this change would embody values of accessibility, transparency, and democratic engagement, which he believes are essential for constitutional roles.

With Kerala implementing this change on December 1, it joins other states that have already adopted the new nomenclature.

Assam's Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya formalized the change on Friday, becoming one of the early adopters. Following him, West Bengal's Governor C.V. Ananda Bose also completed the renaming in his state on Saturday.

The Union government emphasizes that this initiative is part of a national strategy to promote the concept of Viksit Bharat, where administrative entities are designed to be more inclusive. According to the MHA notification, renaming Raj Bhavans and Raj Niwas is meant to highlight the participatory essence of democracy and ensure these constitutional spaces are more accessible to the public, both symbolically and practically.

In Kerala, this transition will also involve updates to signage, official stationery, government communications, and online platforms connected to the Governor's office. While administrative changes are in progress, officials noted that public unveiling and formal usage of the new name will commence right after the Governor’s notification.

This change signifies the end of nearly seventy years of the term Raj Bhavan in Kerala, replacing it with a name that aligns with contemporary democratic ideals — Lok Bhavan, the People’s House.