Jaipur, April 15 -- What's in a name? Quite a bit, according to the Rajasthan government.

The state has launched an initiative to change school students' names that it considers unclear, inappropriate or carrying negative meanings - traits it believes could affect a child's confidence, personality and social identity.

Names such as Sheru, Shaitan, Kalu and Tinku of school children will be changed in consultation with parents, state education minister Madan Dilawar said on Tuesday, under an initiative called "Saarthak Naam Abhiyan" (Meaningful Names Campaign).

The education department has drawn up a list of nearly 3,000 alternatives - 1,409 for boys and 1,541 for girls - for parents to choose from. These include names such as Abheer, Ag...