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Modi replaces Manmohan as chancellor of Visva Bharati University
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has replaced his predecessor Manmohan Singh as the new chancellor of Visva Bharati University in West Bengal.
Modi was appointed the Acharya (Chancellor) of the university by President Pranab Mukherjee for a period of three years. “President of India in his capacity as the Visitor (Paridarsaka) of Visva-Bharati, in exercise of the power conferred on him by sub section (2) of section 13 of Visva Bharati Act, has been pleased to appoint Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the Chancellor (Acharya) of Visva Bharati for a term of three years,” the Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry informed the university in a letter, dated March 16. This comes after former the prime minister resigned from the post two months before expiry of his term as the chancellor of the varsity. Manmohan Singh resigned from the post last month, sources said.
The Visva Bharati University has a tradition of having the incumbent prime minister as its chancellor. Singh was appointed the chancellor of the varsity in April 2012 for a term of three years during the United Progressive Alliance regime.
Soon after Modi came to the helm of affairs at the Centre following a thumping victory of Bharatiya Janata Party in 2014 Lok Sabha polls, there were demands from the university staff and faculties that Singh should be replaced by the new prime minister.
The executive council of the university even passed a resolution in support of appointment of Modi, citing the tradition, and sent it to the HRD Ministry for its consideration in July last year.
As Singh continued to hold the post, the HRD ministry also sent “feelers” to the former prime minister that he should step down and make way for Modi to hold the post following the tradition.
Founded by Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore in 1921, Visva-Bharati was declared to be a central university and an institution of national importance by an Act of Parliament in 1951. This is the only central varsity which has prime minister as its chancellor.
Modi was appointed the Acharya (Chancellor) of the university by President Pranab Mukherjee for a period of three years. “President of India in his capacity as the Visitor (Paridarsaka) of Visva-Bharati, in exercise of the power conferred on him by sub section (2) of section 13 of Visva Bharati Act, has been pleased to appoint Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the Chancellor (Acharya) of Visva Bharati for a term of three years,” the Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry informed the university in a letter, dated March 16. This comes after former the prime minister resigned from the post two months before expiry of his term as the chancellor of the varsity. Manmohan Singh resigned from the post last month, sources said.
The Visva Bharati University has a tradition of having the incumbent prime minister as its chancellor. Singh was appointed the chancellor of the varsity in April 2012 for a term of three years during the United Progressive Alliance regime.
Soon after Modi came to the helm of affairs at the Centre following a thumping victory of Bharatiya Janata Party in 2014 Lok Sabha polls, there were demands from the university staff and faculties that Singh should be replaced by the new prime minister.
The executive council of the university even passed a resolution in support of appointment of Modi, citing the tradition, and sent it to the HRD Ministry for its consideration in July last year.
As Singh continued to hold the post, the HRD ministry also sent “feelers” to the former prime minister that he should step down and make way for Modi to hold the post following the tradition.
Founded by Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore in 1921, Visva-Bharati was declared to be a central university and an institution of national importance by an Act of Parliament in 1951. This is the only central varsity which has prime minister as its chancellor.
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(Published 19 March 2015, 20:13 IST)
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