Seek EC’s views on varsity name change: MHRD to AU
PRAYAGRAJ Efforts have gained momentum to change name of ‘University of Allahabad’, commonly called Allahabad University (AU), to ‘University of Prayagraj’ in tune with the change in city’s name from ’Allahabad’ to ‘Prayagraj’.
Union ministry of human resource development (MHRD) has instructed the central university administration to seek opinion of its executive council members through e-mail and convey it to the ministry immediately, said AU officials aware of the development. Following the communiqué, university registrar Prof NK Shukla has sent e-mails in this regard to all the members of AU EC—the top-most decision taking body of the varsity—requesting them to make known their stand on the issue on top priority, they add.
The MHRD move is being seen as a precursor of the Centre formally seeking a proposal in this regard from AU if majority of EC members are found in favour of changing the name.
The proposal will have to be formally passed by EC and then sent to MHRD from where it would be tabled in Parliament as any changes, associated with central university, will have to be passed by Parliament and final approval given by the President before the necessary changes can be made in the university’s act, statues and ordinances, say varsity officials.
Earlier too, MHRD had forwarded two letters that it had received regarding the issue to AU for consideration including a letter dated February 10, 2020 of Raju Saraswat, under secretary, MHRD. One of these letters dated December 4, 2018 of the then chief secretary, government of Uttar Pradesh, had requested to change the name of AU.
The MHRD had also mentioned a letter of former commissioner, Allahabad division, Ashish Goyal dated November 27, 2019 wherein he too had requested the ministry to change the name of university.
The name of the city and then of the district of Allahabad was changed to Prayagraj by a notification dated October 18, 2018 of the UP government following which subsequently names of the city and division were also changed to Prayagraj followed by changes in the name of railway stations as well.
However, the move to change the name of AU has already started to be opposed by many present and former teachers of the university. Former dean (science) Prof AK Srivastava has taken to the social media to air his opposition to the proposed move. He has pointed out that the name change would in no way help students and the society as a whole. He claimed that AU is among the four oldest universities of the country along with Madras University, Calcutta University and Bombay University and has earned a place of respect among the academic community as ‘Oxford of the East’— further reasons for which its name should not be changed.
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THE MOVE TO CHANGE THE NAME OF AU HAS ALREADY STARTED TO BE OPPOSED BY MANY PRESENT AND FORMER TEACHERS OF THE UNIVERSITY.