Rani Durgavati University in Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur has become the first Indian university to replace the word ‘India’ with ‘Bharat’ in the academic certificates.At the 36th convocation of the university held on Jattvibeday, President Droupadi Murmu gave away degrees to the students of the university with the documents mentioning ‘Bharat’ instead of ‘India’.The university has also replaced the word ‘India’ with ‘Bharat’ in all official communication and campus signboards. The university invitations also did the same.The move follows a national campaign by the RSS organization, Shiksha Sanskriti Utthan Nyas, which has been advocating a return to the word ‘Bharat’ in all academic documents and certificates as well as course materials.The Nyas has been running a campaign to collect signatures from all over India for the change.The Devi Ahilya university in MP also is using ‘Bharat’ in all official communication.Rani Durgavati University, however, is the first whose degrees carry the name ‘Bharat’.The India vs Bharat debate first gained national attention during the G20 Summit in September 2023, when PM Narendra Modi’s nameplate at the summit read ‘Bharat’ instead of ‘India’. Later, President Murmu sent official G20 dinner invitations under the title ‘President of Bharat’. At the time, there was speculation that the government might introduce amendments to Article 1 of the Constitution, which currently states: “India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States.” However, no formal legislative action was taken.The Nyas earlier played a key role in shaping the National Education Policy. Nyas general secretary Atul Kothari says the name ‘Bharat’ carries deeper historical and cultural significance. “India is merely a name, whereas Bharat is a sentiment, a legacy of our ancestors,” he says.