Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the Patna University (PU) should compete among the 10 best public universities of the country to get a grant of ₹ 10,000 crore from the central government and become a fully autonomous institution.
The Prime Minister was speaking at the university's centenary celebration function in Patna.
Earlier, amid a thunderous applause of the students, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar urged Mr. Modi to grant central university status to the university .
Mr. Modi said, “India is nowhere among top 500 universities of the world...my government has put up a challenge to 10 private and 10 public universities to fulfil some criterions fixed by the government to get ₹ 10,000 crore grant in five years and become a fully autonomous institution...Patna University too should take up the challenge and compete for it…it will go beyond its demand for a status of a central university. Patna University should also connect with its glorious list of alumna to regain its past glory…it happens everywhere.”
Calls for innovation
Addressing the gathering of students, former students, staff and teachers, the Prime Minister also laid emphasis on prioritising “innovation” in universities for the country’s development.
“I appeal to the Patna University to be innovative for the problems of your surrounding and compete for start-ups…India has no dearth of talent as it has vast lot of young people”, he said.
After the function, the Prime Minister left for Mokama, 100 km from Patna to launch several development projects worth of over ₹ 3,700 crore.
Shatrughan, Yashwant, Lalu absent
Prominent alumni of the university, local BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha; former Union Finance Minister and senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad were conspicuously absent from the function.
However, while welcoming Mr. Modi to the university, Mr. Shatrughan Sinha tweeted on Saturday “...even I got an invitation, alas very late and with a very short notice...delayed by the more loyal than the King's people involved in the affair”. So, though “ Muhabbat Karne waale kam na honge...Teri mehfil mein lekin hum na honge '… my best wishes”, he tweeted again.
However, other prominent alumni of the varsity, Union Ministers Ram Vilas Paswan, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Ashwani Choubey and Upendra Kushwaha, were present on the dais with the Prime Minister, Governor Satya Pal Malik, Mr. Kumar and his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi.
In bad shape
Established on October 1, 1917, Patna University, was once known as the “Oxford of The East”. But with the passage of time, al its past glory diminished and today it suffers from lack of teachers, staff, infrastructure and fund. “Its in pathetic situation today”, Mr. Shatrughan Sinha had said.
