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AMU City School renamed after Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh
As per the Aligarh Muslim University authorities, The school has been re-named to honour Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh, notable AMU alumnus, Indian freedom fighter, journalist, social reformer, writer, revolutionary and president in the Provisional Government of India, which served as the Indian Government in exile during World War I from Kabul in 1915.
Agra The AMU City School was renamed as ‘Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh AMU City School’, with the Aligarh Muslim University ( AMU) issuing a notification in this regard on Friday.
The descendants of Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh gifted the land on which the school was built, to the AMU.
AMU spokesperson Dr Shafey Kidwai said, “The Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) City School will now be known as ‘Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh Aligarh Muslim University City School’. A notification was issued on Friday by AMU registrar Abdul Hamid, after completing all required formalities and getting clearance from the ministry of education.”
“The school has been re-named to honour Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh, notable AMU alumnus, Indian freedom fighter, journalist, social reformer, writer, revolutionary and president in the Provisional Government of India, which served as the Indian Government in exile during World War I from Kabul in 1915,” said the press statement released by the public relations office of Aligarh Muslim University.
“The decision to rename the school was taken in the light of resolution number 28 of the ordinary meeting of the Executive Council held on March 22, 2021,” said AMU registrar, Abdul Hamid (IPS).
AMU vice chancellor, Prof Tariq Mansoor said: “With the re-naming of the school, AMU pays tribute to Raja Mahendra Pratap, who attended the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College in Aligarh, which later became the Aligarh Muslim University. Raja Mahendra Pratap’s name is counted among the prominent alumni of the university. His father and grandfather were close to educationist and reformer Sir Syed Ahmad Khan”.
The land on which AMU City School is located was leased out to the AMU by Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh in 1928 for 90 years and the lease expired in 2018. The adjoining land, popular as Tikonia park, near AMU City School was also part of the leased land.
The descendants of Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh had even served a legal notice to AMU but it was later decided that if AMU named the school after Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh, then the land would be gifted to the university which would hand back the land of Tikonia park to the descendants of the Raja.
Earlier this week, the gift deed was executed by descendants of Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh in favour of AMU for land on which AMU City School stands and land of Tikonia park was handed back by the AMU.
BJP leaders had been accusing the AMU of not duly recognizing Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh’s contribution to AMU and to compensate this, the Yogi Aditya Nath regime in UP brought up a university at Aligarh in the name of the Raja. The foundation stone of this university was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year.
