AIIMS Delhi will face 'loss of identify' if name changed: Faculty writes to health minister

NEW DELHI: The Faculty Association of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (FAIMS) has written to Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya urging not to consider the proposal to change the name of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi.

The letter comes in the backdrop of the government’s proposal to give specific names to all 23 AIIMS based on regional heroes, freedom fighters, historical events or monuments of the area or their distinct geographical identity.

The Faculty Association of AIIMS-Delhi had sought the opinion of its members on a government proposal in the first week of September. Following this, the members unanimously shared their opposition for changing the name of AIIMS Delhi.

"We believe that AIIMS Delhi will face severe loss of identity and demoralization if the name is changed. Hence, FAIMS requests you to please not consider any proposal for changing the name of AIIMS Delhi. This will help to maintain Premier and Mentor institute status of AIIMS Delhi with respect to others in the country," the letter addressed to the Union health minister read.

It said, “AIIMS was created in 1956 with a trinity of mission for medical education, research and patient care. AIIMS brand has been created by fulfilling this mission with dedicated efforts of its faculty members, residents, students and staff members over the years.”

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“Identity is linked with the name and if the identity is lost, institutional recognition is lost both within the country and outside. That is why famous and established universities such as Oxford, Cambridge and Harvard continue to have the same name for centuries,” the letter read.

"In India, IITs have a name recognition which gives them an institution's identity and there is no proposal to change it. The same is true for IIMs," it added.

It also pointed out that the Indian Institute of Science ( IISC ) Bengaluru, which completed 100 years, has not changed its name. Giving more examples on why identity is important, it said that the Calcutta, Bombay and Madras universities continue with the same name even though the cities they are located in have changed names to Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai.