On his first official visit to Bihar after Chief Minister and JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar returned to the NDA fold, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday promised that the Centre would work shoulder-to-shoulder with him for the development of Bihar.
The Prime Minister shared the stage with Mr Kumar at the centenary celebrations of the Patna University and later launched a slew of road and sewerage projects worth over ₹3,700 crore at Mokamah.
Lamenting that no Indian university figures among the top 500 globally, Mr. Modi said the government intends to provide ₹10,000 crore to 20 varsities to ensure that they are counted among the best in the world.
Responding to Mr. Kumar’s fervent plea that central university status be granted to Patna University, Mr Modi said, “Issues like grant of central status have become a thing of the past. We will provide an assistance of ₹10,000 crore to 10 private universities and an equal number of government ones for a period of five years. All these universities have to do is to demonstrate their potential to become world class.”
The universities will not be selected by the Prime Minister or a chief minister or any other political figure, he said ; their potential will be assessed by a professional, third party agency.
Patna University should meet the challenge to become among the 10 best public universities to get a ₹10,000 crore grant in five years and an autonomous status, he said.
Prominent Patna University alumni and local BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha, former finance minister, senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha and RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav were conspicuously absent from the dais.
“Nitishji is committed to development of Bihar...the central government would work shoulder-to-shoulder with him for the development of Bihar and by 2022 when the country would celebrate 75 years of Independence, Bihar too will be among developed States,” Mr Modi said.
“Patna University should also connect with its glorious list of alumna to regain its past glory,” he added further.
However, reacting to the Prime Minister’s announcement, former professor of Patna University, Nawal Kishore Choudhury told The Hindu , “It triggered great disappointment and resentment not only among teachers and student community but society at large…It’s also a cause of great worry that the Prime Minister announced to hand over government universities into the hands of private players.”
Taking a potshot at Mr Kumar’s demand being turned down, RJD leader Tejaswi Yadav said, “Bihar’s backstabber CM begged in front of his new almighty to accord central university status to Patna University but PM out-rightly rejected his demand while showing him his actual place and status…I feel bad for Nitish chacha (uncle)”.
Though, other alumni like Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, his deputy in the cabinet Sushil Kumar Modi, union cabinet ministers Ram Vilas Paswan, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Ashwani Choubey and Upendra Kushwaha shared stage with the Prime Minister.
Later, after attending Patna University’s centenary celebration function, Mr. Modi left for Mokama, 100 km from Patna and launched several development projects of national highways to bridges and sewage treatment plants worth of over ₹3,700 crore. He also listed achievements of his government and its aspirations for the development of Bihar and the country as well.
