KU authorities, students thank CM for approving ‘PVNR Vidya Peetham’
KU Vice-Chancellor Prof T Ramesh said the setting up the PVNR centre would help strengthen Telangana studies on culture, language, history, social and economic development
Warangal: The authorities, faculty members as well as students of Kakatiya University (KU), Warangal, thanked Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao for approving the proposal to establish a ‘PV Narasimha Rao Centre for the Promotion of Social and Economic Reforms’ (Vidya Peetham) at the university.
KU Vice-Chancellor Prof T Ramesh said the setting up the PVNR centre would help strengthen Telangana studies on culture, language, history, social and economic development and it can also sponsor research on various subjects which were dear to former Minister late PV Narasimha Rao, including land reforms, and social, cultural, literary and economic change.
“Through the centre, we can organise lectures by experts, seminars, conferences, workshops, study groups and training programmes. We can also preserve the legacy of PV by running a physical and digital library, and organize a variety of programmes, including awareness campaigns, on the life and contribution of the former Prime Minister,” he said, adding that the centre can publish print and electronic material on PV and scholarly works on the various areas,” he said, adding that the authorities were also planning to run a half-yearly journal tentatively titled PVNR Journal of Social and Economic Studies besides establishing and maintaining “PV Narasimha Rao Chair Professorship of Social, Economic and Literary Studies.”
“Late PV was an illustrious son of Telangana who went on to become the Prime Minister of India. He had a close association with Warangal. He played a vital role in the establishment of Kakatiya University (KU). He was also an alumnus of University Arts and Science College, Subedari, which is now a constituent college of KU,” Registrar Dr Ragi Mallikarjun Reddy said, adding his educational reforms resulted in the discontinuation of the detention system which was a bane of many students.
“In the field of higher education he brought about many reforms such as decentralization of the UGC and insistence on quality assurance which finally led to the establishment of NAAC. Apart from being an able administrator and reformer, PV Narasimha Rao was a great scholar, writer, translator and polyglot with many literary works to his credit. Finally, he was also a great visionary who laid stress on democratic values and freedoms,” Reddy said and thanked the Chief Minister for approving the proposal to set up the PVNR centre.
“PVNR was a great statesman as well as an inspirational figure. His life and contribution to the Indian economy, polity, society and literature need to be studied and appreciated. His legacy should be cherished and preserved for the benefit of future generations. His ideals should be emulated and propagated. He had a special concern for the development of Kakatiya University, and during his Convocation Address at the University he proposed that the University should have a Centre for social change and development. Kakatiya University is now fully prepared for setting up such a Centre,” said former Dean, Faculty of Arts, former Professor Vooradi Srinivas.
“The varsity is already running similar Centres, such as Women’s Studies Centre, Dr B.R. Ambedkar Studies Centre, Gandhian Studies Centre, and Telangana Study Centre. The faculty and staff of the University thus have the required expertise and experience for running PVNR,” said a Ph.D scholar Mohammed Azam.
While it was proposed to have an Advisory Board of eminent scholars, civil society representatives and Narasimha Rao’s family members, there will be a Director appointed by the University from among the faculty for policy formulation and routine administration of the Centre. “PV Narasimha Rao Chair Professor will be appointed by the University following UGC guidelines for conducting and supervising research activities, guiding Research Associates,” the VC added.
