285 Indian girls change their names

Because of gender discrimination in India, many girls are given names like 'Nakusa' or 'Nakushi' by their families, a name that means unwanted.' Apparently one reason Indian families don't want girls is because of the high cost of marrying them off--many go into debt paying for dowries. (Boys, on the other hand, bring home brides and their dowries.)

A central Indian district is trying to help the the girls by allowing them to choose new, more positive names, has held a renaming ceremony for 285 girls, and issued them certificates with their new names. Some girls are choosing the names of Bollywood actresses, others name themselves after Hindu goddesses, and others choose more traditional names with happy meanings.