Overview

• The central government announced the renaming of Port Blair to Sri Vijaya Puram on Friday.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated the change aims to break free from colonial imprints and celebrate Indian heritage.
• Home Minister Amit Shah highlighted the Andaman and Nicobar Islands' unparalleled place in India's freedom struggle and history.
• The islands were once a naval base for the Chola Empire and hosted the first unfurling of the Tiranga by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.
• Port Blair was originally named after Captain Archibald Blair, a British colonial naval officer who surveyed the Andaman Islands in the late 18th century.