Jaipur, April 15 -- Names like 'Sheru', 'Kalu', 'Chhotu', 'Bablu', 'Tinku', 'Shaitaan' and other unusual or derogatory monikers could soon vanish from Rajasthan school registers under a new statewide "Saarthak Naam Abhiyan" to replace them with positive alternatives that bolster pupils' confidence and identity, according to an official directive from the Elementary Education Department. The initiative addresses concerns that awkward or inappropriate names often lead to ridicule, embarrassment and loss of self-esteem as children grow older, Rajasthan school education minister Madan Dilawar told reporters on Tuesday. "Such names mostly indicate some casteist or classist remarks while several of them don't even have any meaning. These names cause major embarrassment for the students when they grow up. Under this drive, these children will now get rid of such social embarrassment," he said. He noted that parents often choose names without considering long-term impacts. "Sometimes parents choose names without being aware of their meanings or for social reasons, but later children may develop a sense of inferiority because of them," the minister said. The elementary education department has identified 2,000-3,000 such names across government and private schools and prepared a list of nearly 3,000 meaningful alternatives-1,541 for girls and 1,409 for boys, complete with meanings-for parents to select. Among the alternative names include 'Abheer', 'Agnibha', 'Balmukund', 'Badrinath, 'Balgopal, 'Aradhya', 'Anandmayi', 'Annapurna', 'Narayani', Pratima', 'Vaishnavi'. "This will be a voluntary process, and nobody should be forced to change their names. First, the school authorities must discuss the matter during the parent-teacher meeting to raise awareness among them. The parents must give a written approval if they agree to the suggestions made by the school," stated the official directive. Schools must sensitively identify affected pupils via parent-teacher meetings and School Management Committees. For new admissions, parents can pick from the list; existing pupils may apply for changes perthe rules. "Once they change the names in the upper classes, their names will also be updated in the previous marksheets," it adds. Senior officials will monitor the progress of the initiative from classes 1 to 9....