New Delhi, Dec. 2 -- With Raj Bhavans across the country being renamed as Lok Bhavans, the move is being seen as a step in line with changes under the Narendra Modi government, which mark a deeper ideological transition of India's democracy "choosing responsibility over power and service over status".

The Raj Bhavan in Odisha has been renamed Lok Bhavan, a decision that has also been implemented in several other states across the country. West Bengal's Raj Bhavan in Kolkata was renamed as Lok Bhavan on November 29. The Home Ministry has sent a communication to states for the change.

India's public institutions are undergoing a quiet but profound shift and the idea of governance is moving from "satta to seva and from authority to respons...