MP govt renames Rajiv Gandhi University, splits it into three technical universities; Congress slams move

The Madhya Pradesh government has decided to reorganise Rajiv Gandhi Proudyogiki Vishwavidyalaya (RGPV) into three separate technology and skills universities in Bhopal, Ujjain and Jabalpur, removing former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi's name from the institution. The state cabinet, headed by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, approved the proposal on Tuesday as part of the restructuring of the state's technical education system.

Under the decision, the existing RGPV campus in Bhopal will be known as the Madhya Bharat University of Technology and Skills. Two new institutions, the Malwa University of Technology and Skills in Ujjain and the Mahakaushal University of Technology and Skills in Jabalpur will also be established.

The three universities will have geographically divided jurisdictions. The Bhopal-based university will cover districts in the Bhopal, Narmadapuram and Chambal divisions. The Malwa University of Technology and Skills will cover the Ujjain and Indore divisions, while the Mahakaushal University of Technology and Skills in Jabalpur will cover the Rewa and Sagar divisions.

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Congress calls the decision 'petty'

The decision triggered a sharp reaction from the Congress, which accused the BJP-led Madhya Pradesh government of political malice and criticised it for removing Rajiv Gandhi's name. Former chief minister Kamal Nath, in a post on X, said the BJP could not do anything new and was instead busy changing the names of works and institutions associated with the Congress era. "Removing Rajiv Gandhi's name is a symbol of the BJP government's petty mentality," Nath said. He said that during Rajiv Gandhi's tenure, India entered the world of modern technology and witnessed the information revolution and the computer era.

Nath described the Madhya Pradesh government as "anti-education" and urged Chief Minister Mohan Yadav not to remove the former prime minister's name."You cannot change history by changing names," he said, adding that every action, good or bad, would ultimately be accounted for. Leader of Opposition in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly Umang Singhar also attacked the government, alleging that removing the names of leaders who sacrificed their lives for the country was part of a "conspiracy" involving the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the BJP. The BJP government could never remove Rajiv Gandhi from the people's hearts, Singhar said.

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Congress leader Ajay Singh alleged that the decision had been taken out of "political malice" and claimed that the university was being trifurcated primarily to remove Rajiv Gandhi's name. He said the move would not erase the former prime minister's contribution from the pages of history.

The government has said the restructuring is intended to improve administration and make the technical education system more accessible based on geographical considerations. According to figures cited by the state government, RGPV currently has 585 affiliated institutions, offers 13 courses and caters to more than 3.83 lakh students. Meanwhile, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) welcomed the cabinet decision and celebrated the development on the university campus in Bhopal by distributing sweets.

(With PTI inputs)