New Delhi: BJP Rajya Sabha MP Sujeet Kumar on Friday raised a Zero Hour submission in Parliament, urging the government and the NCERT to discontinue the use of the colonial title “Lord” for British Viceroys and Governors-General in school textbooks, rulers, official websites, and government documents.
Sujeet Kumar said he conducted a random check of NCERT history books for Classes 8 and 12 and found several references using the title “Lord” before the names of British officials such as Lord Curzon, Lord Lytton, Lord Mountbatten, and Lord Dalhousie. He added that many government websites, including those of the Ministry of Culture, Press Information Bureau (PIB), Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), and the Raj Bhavan (now Lok Bhavan) of Bihar, also continue to use the title.
The MP said the British used such titles to reinforce their imperial authority and promote a narrative of racial superiority. He questioned why India should continue using these titles even 75 years after independence, especially when many British officials had committed “horrendous and barbaric” acts against Indians.
Kumar argued that continuing to use the term “Lord” places colonial rulers on an undeserved pedestal while freedom fighters are not given similar reverence. He said this practice reflects a colonial mindset and goes against the values of equality and the spirit of the Constitution.
He referred to the government’s recent efforts at renaming institutions and locations, such as the change from Rajpath to Kartavya Path and the shift from Raj Bhavan to Lok Bhavan, saying these changes represent a move away from colonial symbols. He also cited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Independence Day speech, where he spoke about eliminating all remnants of a “slavery mindset” during the Amrit Kaal period.
Sujeet Kumar said that using neutral terms like “Lytton, Viceroy of India” would be a small but meaningful step toward decolonising India’s institutional language. He requested the government to ensure that all references in school textbooks, rulers, and official websites, and government documents.
In today’s Zero Hour, I urged the Government and NCERT to remove the colonial title “Lord” from references to British Viceroys and Governor Generals across textbooks, official websites, and other government platforms.
Decolonising India’s narrative must begin with our education… pic.twitter.com/EC2jn8D0cQ
— Sujeet Kumar 🇮🇳 (@SujeetKOfficial) December 5, 2025