The Union Cabinet on Thursday decided that the state of Uttaranchal will be renamed Uttarakhand. What’s there in a name? Well a lot if Uttaranchal's politicians are to be believed who have been asking the union Cabinet to initiate a process to change the name of the state "Uttaranchal" to "Uttarakhand" for a long time.

Briefing reporters on the decision taken at a Cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi told reporters that the approval was at the request of the Uttaranchal government.

A Bill, namely, the Uttaranchal (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2006 will now be submitted to the President for referring it to the State Legislature of Uttaranchal.