PM gives clear hints to accord greater status to PU

Sachchidanand Jha

Patna : PM Narendra Modi on October 14, 2017, while addressing the centenary function of Patna University (PU) on Patna Science College campus gave clear hints that the university could be among the ten public universities of the country being selected to develop as a world class university along with ten private universities.

PM Modi, who became the first Prime Minister of the country to address a PU function, said these twenty universities would be selected by a competent authority on merit basis and would a get a grant of Rs 10,000 crore from the centre. The government would not interfere in their functioning and they would develop as per their own vision and plan, PM Modi said amidst loud cheers from the students. He said that he wants to accord the PU the status of a university higher than the Central University. Appreciating the role of Patna University in the development of the country, the PM  said that the university would now take the country to a higher level by encouraging innovation among the students as Bihar has rich cultural heritage which is a huge inspiration. Bihar is a state of knowledge, he said.

The PM said that his predecessors had left left several goods works for him to do and developing the PU is one among them. He said that like the varsities abroad, the universities in India should also involve their alumni in their development taking advantage of their experience, knowledge and status. He also referred to ancient Nalanda and Vikramshila Universities.

The PM acknowledged that the Bihar produces maximum number of bureaucrats among the states. He said that the universities should open the brain of the students to enable them learn new things and innovate which could lead to startups. The brain of students should never be jampacked, their brain should be open, he said. He regretted that none of the Indian Universities figure among top 500 universities in the world and said that is why the government has decided to develop ten public and ten prvivate universities as world class.

Earlier, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar while highlighting the glorious past of the PU, requested the PM to accord the status of central university to it. He said that there was a time when being a student of Patna Science College and Patna College was a status symbol. Nitish said that he felt so pround when he was admitted to Patna Science College in 1966. Over twenty students of the PU used to crack the UPSC exams every year in the past, he said. Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi, also a former student of Patna Science College, said that the PU had played a great role in the 1974 JP agitation. Former PU students and present Union Ministers Ram Vilas Paswan, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Ashwini Kumar Chaubey and Upendra Kushwaha were also present on the dais along with Governor Satya Pal Malik.

The PM arrived at Patna Airport around 10.40 am where he was welcomed by Bihar Governor Malik and CM Nitish Kumar. Governor Malik presented the PM a book while CM Nitish Kumar gave him a rose. The PM reached Patna Science College campus at 11.05 am amidst tight security arrangements.