BENGALURU: The move by the state government to rename the University of Mysore as Rajashree Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar University, has received objections from academia, former vice-chancellors, alumnus and students. Recently, the state Higher Education Minister G T Devegowda said the Chief Minister had responded positively for the long pending request of Mysureans to rename the university and that he had even said the state government would soon take an official decision on it.
However, this has received opposition from varsity alumnus who feel that they are emotionally attached with the name as it represents the name of the city. Several alumnus have decided to meet Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy and higher education minister and submit a representation requesting them not to change the name.
"The University of Mysore is not just a name, it is an emotional attachment. Lakhs of students have graduated from the university and we spent at least five years of our lives at the campus. We do not want it to be changed," said one of the alumnus. The alumnus even threatened of staging a protest if the government did not drop this idea. "We are not objecting to Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar's name, we are raising our voice against renaming the university. What is the need for it now?" said another alumnus, a senior journalist.
Prof K S Rangappa, former VC of the university, said, "There are other ways to give importance to Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar. We instituted his statue, and there is a stadium named after him. But, I feel it is not acceptable to rename the university."
Prof Siddegowda, vice chancellor of Tumkur University, who is a senior professor of UoM, said, "I don't think even people will accept the renaming of the university. We all have due respect for Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar and but is not necessary to show it through this."