Work on Mumbai University’s ₹25-cr centre to study youth movements begins

The ceremony was performed by RSS joint general secretary Dattatreya Hosbale and was attended by state higher education minister Vinod Tawde.

The foundation stone-laying ceremony for the new study centre at University of Mumbai’s (MU) Kalina campus was held on Monday.

Tawde said the new centre will impart the training which the members of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) get. (HT image)

The centre, which is named after Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) idealogue Balvant ‘Bal’ Apte, will offer short-term inter-disciplinary courses and PhD degrees in comparative study of student and youth movements across the world. “The centre will focus on the study of ideology, methodology, socio-political thoughts and contributions of pre- and post-independence student and youth movements,” an MU spokesperson said.

The ceremony was performed by RSS joint general secretary Dattatreya Hosbale and was attended by state higher education minister Vinod Tawde.

The state has allotted ₹25 crore for the centre.

Hosbale said the centre is a befitting tribute to Apte. “As a tribute to the work done by professor Apte, the MU has started several programmes, to develop leadership qualities among students... This centre is the most fitting memorial to a man who believed that students’ power is the power of a nation and tried to evolve a student organisation’s philosophy,” said Hosbale.

Tawde said the new centre will impart the training which the members of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) get. “At this centre, students will be imparted with human development, work execution and social reform skills which we learnt in the informal setting of ABVP,” he said.