NEW DELHI: The officiating Vice-Chancellor of the Jamia Millia Islamia University Professor Eqbal Hussain has suggested naming the proposed medical college after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as per a recent statement.
The proposal which is only on papers currently is alleged to be politically motivated as Prof Hussain is one of the applicants for the Vice-Chancellor post. Hussain’s statement has invited a lot of criticism already within the campus.
An official, on the condition of anonymity said, “Suggesting a name for the college which is only on papers right now clearly shows that he wants to be in the limelight before the Education ministry shortlists the names for the post of VC. There is no point in suggesting a name for a project when you are holding an officiating position.”
Asked about the status of the medical college, Professor Hussain said, “As of now we have only got the permission. The process will kick off once the new Vice-Chancellor is appointed.”
However, talking about his suggestion of naming the medical college after the Prime Minister, the acting V-C further added, “Suggesting a name for the medical college is my personal opinion. I believe that there is no negativity in it and there is no harm in naming the college after the Prime Minister like that of Aligarh Muslim University where a building is named after Jawaharlal Nehru. By doing this, the medical college will automatically gain popularity.”
In July 2023, the former Vice-Chancellor Najma Akhtar had announced that a medical college has been planned within the campus area as an eight-floor high rise building which was earlier called- ‘Health Sciences Building’ and is under progress. She had shared that the University has reserved 5 acres of land near Jasola for a 150-bedded hospital.
‘No harm in naming college after PM’
Talking about his suggestion of naming the medical college after the PM, the acting V-C said, “Suggesting a name for the medical college is my personal opinion. I believe there is no harm in naming the college after the PM like that of Aligarh Muslim University where a building is named after Jawaharlal Nehru.”