Name Panjab University economics dept after Manmohan Singh: Bansal to V-P

In a letter to the Vice-President, Bansal said Dr Manmohan Singh was a student at Panjab University that he later served with distinction as a member of faculty in the department of economics

Former Union minister Pawan Kumar Bansal has urged Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar, who is the chancellor of Panjab University, to rename the university department of economics as “Dr Manmohan Singh School of Economics” after the former prime minister who remained a student and faculty member at the varsity.

Notably, Panjab University is already considering naming its Arts Block 3 after the former prime minister who passed away in New Delhi on December 26. Arts Block 3 houses the department of economics, where Dr Singh had been a professor. (HT File Photo)

In a letter to the Vice-President, Bansal said Dr Manmohan Singh was a student at Panjab University that he later served with distinction as a member of faculty in the department of economics.

“Dr Singh is by far the most distinguished alumnus of the Panjab University who went on to serve the country with rare distinction in various capacities, including as the chief economic adviser and finance secretary to Government of India, governor of Reserve Bank of India and chairman, Planning Commission, during his illustrious professional career. He also did India proud at the United Nations,” Bansal said.

Further, it was because of his widely acknowledged expertise as an economist that he was asked to take over as Union finance minister in 1991 at a time when the country was facing an acute financial crisis. “Dr Singh brought in critical structural reforms and again put the country on the path of sustainable economic growth. When at the helm of the government as Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014, he introduced various path-breaking legislations to empower the common citizen,” he added.

In view of the unparallel contribution of Dr Singh to the national life, it will be just and appropriate to name the PU department of economics after him, he said, adding that this will be not just a befitting tribute to an illustrious son of India, but an honour to Panjab University itself as also to all alumni of this great institution.

Notably, the varsity is already considering naming its Arts Block 3 after the former prime minister who passed away in New Delhi on December 26. Gurnoor Singh, a student of the University Institute of Legal Studies, had submitted a representation to Vice-Chancellor Renu Vig in this regard. Arts Block 3 houses the department of economics, where Dr Singh had been a professor.