The Delhi High Court ruled it cannot direct the government or DMRC to rename metro stations, holding such decisions fall within executive policy. Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav said courts intervene only if naming is arbitrary or unconstitutional in India.
NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court stated that it cannot issue an order for the government or the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to rename metro stations.
Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav noted that naming metro stations falls within the government’s administrative and policy authority, which the Court does not typically intervene in unless it deems the decision to be arbitrary or unconstitutional.
The Court dismissed a petition from the Residents Welfare Association of Rangpuri village that sought to have the forthcoming Mahipalpur Metro Station renamed as Rangpuri Metro Station.
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Rangpuri and Mahipalpur are two urban villages situated close to the Indira Gandhi International Airport. The Mahipalpur station is part of the under-construction Phase 4 Golden Line (Aerocity–Tughlakabad).
The petitioners argued that most of the land used for the station’s construction belonged to Rangpuri, and according to government policy, it should bear that village’s name. They also claimed that when they approached the authorities, they were merely referred from one department to another without any resolution.
After reviewing the case, the High Court decided not to order the renaming of the station. However, Justice Kaurav instructed the DMRC and relevant authorities to consider the petitioners’ request within six weeks.
The Bench also mentioned that if input from any other department is necessary, it should be taken into account as well.
The issue arose when a petition was filed before the Delhi High Court seeking directions to rename a particular Delhi Metro station. The petitioner argued that the existing name did not reflect the identity of the locality or caused inconvenience and confusion to residents and commuters. Similar pleas have surfaced repeatedly in the past, often driven by:
- Local identity concerns
- Historical or cultural considerations
- Administrative boundaries changing over time
- Political or social representation demands
Delhi Metro stations are frequently named after landmarks, localities, roads, or historically recognised areas, and disputes arise when residents feel the chosen name does not adequately represent their area.
In this context, the High Court was asked to exercise its writ jurisdiction to compel the authorities either the Delhi Government or DMRC to effect a change in the station’s name.
Over the years:
- City authorities and the DMRC have renamed multiple stations for local identity, ease of commuter orientation or political decisions (e.g., Pitampura station renamed to Madhuban Chowk, and others updated to reflect local contexts).
- Historic renamings include Pragati Maidan station becoming Supreme Court metro station decided by the Delhi government’s naming committee.
- DMRC and governments have renamed stations even outside Delhi (like HUDA City Centre to Gurugram City Centre) based on state requests.