For the first time in India, a university will bear the name of the late Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. Bengaluru University is set to be renamed in his honour following an announcement made by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in his budget presentation on Friday

The university, originally established in 2017 as Bengaluru Central University (BCU), was renamed Bengaluru City University (BCU) in 2020. Now, under the Congress-led government, is set for another rechristening.

Reacting to this decision, former Vice Chancellors of Bengaluru University shared their views with Salar News. Venugopal KR, who served as Vice Chancellor from 2018 to 10 June, 2022, welcomed the move, calling ‘it a fitting tribute to a great economist’. Recalling his association with the leader, he pointed out to the significant contributions made by him to education and economy.

However, not everyone shares the same sentiment.  K Siddappa, who served as Vice Chancellor from 1999 to 2002, opposes the renaming, argued that it would diminish the university’s established reputation despite former Prime minister’s contributions.

However, the decision to rename Bengaluru University is not entirely unexpected. Following the recent passing of Singh, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar had stressed the importance of preserving his legacy. He also announced plans to establish a research and study centre at Bangalore University dedicated to Singh’s contributions.