Nitish Kumar urges PM to grant Central University status to Patna University

Patna (Bihar) : Nitish Kumar">Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday urged Narendra Modi">Prime Minister Narendra Modi to grant Patna University the status of a Central University.

Addressing the University's Centenary Celebrations, which was graced by Narendra Modi">Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the Chief Guest, the Bihar Chief Minister said it was a matter of great happiness that for the first time an Indian Prime Minister has come to attend Patna University's function.

Further signifying the importance of 2017, Nitish Kumar said, "It is a historic year in two senses: Patna University was founded in 1917 and it was the same year when Mahatma Gandhi came to Champaran to start Satyagraha."

Bihar Chief Minister further said, "Every Citizen of Bihar has expectations, but whoever has some connection with the Patna University is looking at you with hope. When I was in Parliament, then on many occasions, I demanded that Patna University be accorded the status of Central University."

The Chief Minister also said that Patna University was founded after a Bill in this regard was passed by Indian Legislative Council (akin to today's Parliament) during the British rule.

"Dr Tej Bahadur Sapru, Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya, Jinnah Sahab, Maulana Madurul Haq Sahab participated in the debate to clear the Bill and the Patna University was founded," said Nitish.

Talking about the Patna University, Nitish said many famous personalities like Jayaprakash Narayan, Ramdhari Singh 'Dinkar' and two students of Patna University became Chief Justice of India, and one became Attorney General of India.

On a related note, while talking about Mahatma Gandhi, he said, "When society is not educated, it can't be developed."

The Bihar Chief Minister also recounted that Mahatma Gandhi, during his Champaran Satyagraha, used to sensitise people about cleanliness and linked it with Narendra Modi">Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Swachh Bharat Mission.

Patna University, the first university in Bihar, was established on October 1, 1917 during the British Raj, and is the seventh oldest university of the Indian subcontinent. At that time, the jurisdiction of the university extended to Bihar, Odisha, and the Kingdom of Nepal.