In contemporary Indian politics, which Union ministry turned down the West Bengal government's proposal to rename the state of West Bengal as "Bangla"?

Introduction / Context:
This question deals with the constitutional and administrative procedure for changing the name of an Indian state and asks which Union ministry rejected the proposal to rename West Bengal as Bangla. In India, matters related to the organisation of states, including a change in their name or boundaries, require action by the Union government and Parliament. The case of West Bengal seeking to become Bangla is a useful example for understanding how such proposals move through the central government machinery and which ministry has the final say at the executive level before any constitutional amendment Bill is brought to Parliament.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The state government of West Bengal proposed that the state should be renamed as Bangla.
• The proposal was sent to the Union government for consideration and approval.
• Different Union ministries are mentioned as options, including Home Affairs, Law and Justice, Culture, External Affairs, and Information and Broadcasting.
• The question asks which ministry turned down or rejected the proposal.

Concept / Approach:
In India, the legal process of changing the name of a state involves Article 3 of the Constitution and an amendment of the First Schedule, which lists the states and Union Territories. Proposals for such changes are processed by the Ministry of Home Affairs, because this ministry is responsible for the internal administration of the country, including state reorganisation, creation of new states, changes of boundaries, and changes of names. Other ministries like Law and Justice or External Affairs may give opinions, but the nodal ministry is the Ministry of Home Affairs, which finally clears or rejects such proposals at the executive level before any Bill is drafted.

Step-by-Step Solution:
1. Note that a change in the name of a state is an internal matter related to the structure of the Union and its states. 2. The ministry that handles internal security, state boundaries, reorganisation and related constitutional changes is the Ministry of Home Affairs. 3. The Law and Justice Ministry only vets the legal wording of Bills; it does not independently approve or reject name change proposals as the nodal authority. 4. Culture and External Affairs deal with cultural policy and foreign relations respectively, which are not directly responsible for the internal naming of states. 5. Therefore, the proposal of West Bengal to rename itself as Bangla was considered and turned down by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Verification / Alternative check:
One can verify this reasoning by recalling that other state reorganisation matters, such as the creation of new states like Jharkhand, Uttarakhand or Telangana, and changes in boundaries, are always routed through the Ministry of Home Affairs. Official answers and news reports consistently mention the Union Home Ministry as the authority that considered and declined the Bangla proposal. This matches the general constitutional framework and administrative practice in India for such matters, confirming that the Ministry of Home Affairs is the correct answer in this case.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Ministry of Law and Justice: It mainly looks at the legal drafting and vetting of Bills and Acts; it is not the nodal ministry for approving state name changes.
• Ministry of Culture: Responsible for cultural institutions, heritage and arts, not for the constitutional status or naming of states.
• Ministry of External Affairs: Deals with foreign policy and relations with other countries, not internal state reorganisation.
• Ministry of Information and Broadcasting: Handles media policy and broadcasting regulation, not constitutional changes to state names.

Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to assume that the Ministry of Law and Justice must be in charge because changing a state name eventually requires a constitutional amendment. Students also sometimes think the External Affairs Ministry might be involved because of possible confusion with the neighbouring country Bangladesh. However, while these ministries may be consulted, the primary administrative responsibility lies with the Ministry of Home Affairs. Remember that questions about the creation, merger, or renaming of states are nearly always linked to the Home Ministry in Indian polity questions.

Final Answer:
Thus, the Union ministry that turned down the proposal to rename West Bengal as Bangla is the Ministry of Home Affairs.