Bengaluru changes names of several wards: What are they called now? Bengaluru-News News

Last updated:03 December, 2025, 13:08 IST

Residents now officially fall under Yarrab Nagar ward for all civic and administrative purposes including voter lists, property records, grievance redressal and municipal services.

Bengaluru’s civic map is undergoing another phase of quiet but consequential change. The Greater Bengaluru Authority has issued an amendment notification to rename and realign several wards across the city, signaling the next phase of its administrative restructuring.

As part of this exercise, 13 wards spanning multiple constituencies and corporations have received new names, reflecting both historical contexts and planning priorities.

One of the most notable changes is in South Bengaluru, where Kumaraswamy Layout ward, which falls under the Padmanabhanagar assembly constituency, has been officially renamed as Yarrab Nagar ward.

Kumaraswamy Layout became Yarab Nagar

The renaming of Kumaraswamy Layout Ward to Yarrab Nagar Ward marks a shift from recent layout-based naming towards older or locally rooted identifiers. Civic officials say the change is in line with efforts to standardize ward names and resolve overlaps or ambiguities that have emerged with the city’s expansion.

Residents of the area now officially come under Yarrab Nagar ward for all civic and administrative purposes including voter lists, property records, grievance redressal and municipal services. Although layout names may continue to be used colloquially, all formal documents will gradually transition to the updated ward name.

Officials say that such changes are not merely cosmetic. Ward names form the basis of governance units, budgets and service delivery, making clarity and consistency important.

Other renamed wards, including Akash Ward which is now Aero City Ward

The amendment notification also addresses ward names in other parts of the city. In North Bengaluru, the controversial Akash ward in Yelahanka assembly constituency has been renamed as Aero City ward. The change is expected to reduce confusion, as there were objections to the earlier name and the lack of a clear geographical connection for many residents.

According to the notification, a total of 13 wards in different areas of the city have been renamed or their boundaries have been adjusted, although not all the changes involve high-profile localities. Some modifications are subtle, aimed at better alignment with natural boundaries, road networks or population distribution.

Bengaluru is now governed by five urban corporations

These ward-level changes come amid a large-scale restructuring of the city’s civic administration. Bengaluru has now been reorganized into five metropolitan city corporations under the umbrella of the Greater Bengaluru Authority.

The five corporations are:

Bengaluru East City Corporation

Bengaluru West City Corporation

Bengaluru North Municipal Corporation

Bengaluru South City Corporation

Bengaluru Central City Corporation

The change marks a departure from Bengaluru’s long-standing single-corporation model and aims to make governance more decentralized and manageable.

From City Corporation to BBMP to Greater Bengaluru

Civic travel in Bengaluru has seen many changes over the past decades. Bengaluru City Corporation was first established in 1989. In 2007, as the city expanded rapidly, it was renamed Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), encompassing the surrounding municipalities, city councils and villages.

However, as the BBMP’s jurisdiction grew larger and more complex, concerns grew over the difficulty of managing such a vast urban area under a single administrative body. The creation of the Greater Bengaluru Authority and its division into five corporations aims to address these concerns by bringing governance closer to local communities.

What should residents expect next?

In the coming months, residents of wards that have been renamed or redrawn may see updates in official records, signage, election documents and online citizen portals. Officials are expected to implement awareness measures so that residents understand which ward and corporation they now fall under.

While name changes often spark debates over identity and legacy, civic officials insist that core services ranging from waste management to road maintenance will continue uninterrupted during the transition.

A city still being rewritten

The rapid growth of Bengaluru has ensured that its administrative map is constantly evolving. The latest round of ward renamings is part of a broader effort to bring order to a city that has expanded far beyond its original boundaries.

For residents, it may take time to understand the changes. But for planners and administrators, they represent another step in shaping how India’s tech capital governs itself in the years to come.

As Greater Bengaluru settles into its new structure, there are likely to be more such adjustments, quietly redefining how the city understands itself, one ward at a time.