The Indian Army has undertaken an initiative to rename roads, residential colonies, buildings and other facilities within its military establishments to reflect India’s military traditions, national ethos and the legacy of distinguished military personnel.
According to the details provided in the Lok Sabha, a total of 246 military facilities across 15 states had been renamed as of the date covered by the parliamentary reply.
The renamed facilities include internal roads, residential colonies, buildings, parks, gates, training areas, sports grounds, helipads and a military station. The initiative seeks to recognise the contributions of gallantry awardees, battle heroes and distinguished military leaders.
Why Are Military Facilities Being Renamed?
The parliamentary reply explains that the initiative forms part of the Indian Army’s efforts to align its institutional spaces with India’s military traditions and national ethos.
The stated objectives include recognising and honouring:
- Gallantry award recipients
- Battle heroes
- Distinguished military leaders
- The values of courage, sacrifice and leadership
Military installations contain roads, residential areas, buildings and other spaces that form part of the everyday life of serving personnel and their families. Naming such facilities after distinguished military figures can provide a visible institutional connection with the country’s military history and traditions.
The parliamentary explanation establishes the broad purpose of the initiative. However, the supplied annexures do not provide the individual old and new names of all 246 facilities or explain the specific naming rationale for each location.
Old Name and New Name : What Does the Parliamentary Annexure Reveal?
A key distinction is necessary for readers seeking a complete list of renamed establishments.
The supplied Annexures A and B provide category-wise, Command-wise and state-wise totals. They do not contain an individual entry for every facility showing its previous name alongside its new name.
Therefore, the figures establish the scale and geographical distribution of the exercise, but they are not sufficient to prepare a verified old-name-versus-new-name list of every road, colony, building or station.
For a complete name-to-name directory, the relevant individual renaming orders, official Army announcements or additional parliamentary documents would need to be examined. Specific old and new names should not be inferred from the totals alone.
Prominent Military Establishments and Roads: Old Name vs New Name
Although the parliamentary annexures provide aggregate figures, media reports published in February and March 2026 identify several prominent examples of renamed military facilities. The following examples help readers understand how the initiative has been implemented at specific locations.
1. Mall Road, Delhi Cantonment
Old name : Mall Road
New name : Arun Khetarpal Marg
The road was renamed in honour of Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal, who was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra for his gallantry during the 1971 India–Pakistan War.
2. Kirby Place, Delhi Cantonment
Old name : Kirby Place
New name : Kenguruse Vihar
News reports identify the new name with Captain Neikezhakuo Kenguruse, a Kargil War hero who was posthumously awarded the Maha Vir Chakra. The facility is associated with officers’ accommodation.
3. Tigris Road, Delhi Cantonment
Old name :Tigris Road
New name : Hoshiar Singh Marg
The new name commemorates Major Hoshiar Singh, a Param Vir Chakra recipient recognised for his bravery in the 1971 War.
4. Cassel Road, Delhi Cantonment
Old name : Cassel Road
New name : Manekshaw Marg
The road’s reported new name honours Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, one of India’s most distinguished military leaders and the Chief of the Army Staff during the 1971 War.
5. Kotwali Road, Delhi Cantonment
Old name : Kotwali Road
New name : Captain Anuj Nayyar Marg
The reported renaming honours Captain Anuj Nayyar, who was posthumously awarded the Maha Vir Chakra for his actions during the Kargil War.
6. Malcolm Lines, Mhow Cantonment, Madhya Pradesh
Old name : Malcolm Lines
New name : Piru Singh Lines
Reports identify the new name with Company Havildar Major Piru Singh Shekhawat, a Param Vir Chakra awardee honoured for his gallantry during the 1947–48 Jammu and Kashmir operations.
7. Buildings at the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun
Old names : Collins Block and Kingsway Block
Reported new names : Nubra Block and Kargil Block
These reported changes connect the academy’s built environment with the military history associated with Nubra and the Kargil conflict.
8. Fort William, Kolkata
Old name : Fort William
Reported new name : Vijay Durg
News reports have identified the historic military establishment in Kolkata with its reported new name, Vijay Durg. This is particularly relevant to readers in West Bengal.
9. Sports Complex, Rangapahar Military Station, Nagaland
Old name : Sports Complex
Reported new name : Laishram Jyotin Singh Sports Complex
The reported name honours Laishram Jyotin Singh, an Indian Army soldier recognised for his gallantry.
10. Spear Lake Marg, Zakhama Military Station, Nagaland
Old name : Spear Lake Marg
Reported new name : Hangpan Dada Marg
The new name honours Rifleman Hangpan Dada, who was posthumously awarded the Ashoka Chakra for gallantry during counter-insurgency operations.
Additional Reported Renamings of Residential Colonies
Media reports also identify changes to residential accommodation and military housing areas. Examples include the following :
| Old name | Reported new name | Location |
| Baird Place | Anuj Nayyar Vihar | Delhi Cantonment |
| Tubrak Link | Gurdiyal Vihar | Delhi Cantonment |
| Kingsway Camp, Timarpur | Joginder Singh Vihar | Delhi |
| Nicholson Line | Digendra Kumar Vihar | Delhi |
| Khyber Line | Abdul Hamid Vihar | Delhi Cantonment |
| Tigris Maude Line | Jadunath Vihar | Delhi Cantonment |
| Poultry Farm | Ram Chander Vihar | Delhi Cantonment |
| Patterson Road Quarters | Dhan Singh Thapa Enclave | Ambala Cantonment |
| New Horn Line | Abdul Hamid Lines | Mathura Cantonment |
| New Birdwood Line | Thimayya Colony | Bareilly Cantonment |
Editorial note: These individual names are reproduced as reported in the cited news coverage. For official administrative use, confirm the spelling, effective date and precise location against the applicable Army order.