Chandigarh, 7 January 2025: Former Union minister Pawan Kumar Bansal has called on Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, chancellor of Panjab University, to rename the university’s economics department as “Dr. Manmohan Singh School of Economics” to honor the former prime minister’s legacy as a student and faculty member of the institution.
“Dr. Manmohan Singh is undoubtedly Panjab University’s most distinguished alumnus,” Bansal stated. “He served the nation with exceptional distinction as Chief Economic Adviser, Finance Secretary, RBI Governor, Planning Commission Chairman, and as India’s representative at the United Nations.”
Bansal highlighted Singh’s transformative role as Union Finance Minister during India’s 1991 economic crisis, describing his efforts in implementing structural reforms as pivotal in steering the country toward sustainable economic growth. He added, “As prime minister from 2004 to 2014, he introduced landmark legislations that empowered citizens and strengthened India’s democratic framework.”
The economics department, situated in Arts Block 3 where Dr. Singh once taught, is a fitting candidate for renaming, according to Bansal. He argued, “Naming it after Dr. Singh would be a tribute to an illustrious son of India and a recognition of Panjab University’s own legacy.”
The university is reportedly already considering naming Arts Block 3 after Dr. Singh, who passed away in New Delhi on December 26. A proposal submitted by Gurnoor Singh, a student from the University Institute of Legal Studies, is under review by Vice-Chancellor Renu Vig.
