Bengaluru, Aug 19 — The Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Tuesday passed a bill to rename Bengaluru City University as Dr Manmohan Singh Bengaluru City University, making it the first university in the country to bear the name of the former Prime Minister.
The bill amends the Karnataka State Universities Act, 2000, to honour Singh’s legacy as an economist, academician, bureaucrat and statesman credited with spearheading India’s economic reforms and serving two successive terms as prime minister.
The proposal had been approved by the state cabinet in July and was first announced in the state budget speech on March 7. Officials said the move was intended to recognize Singh’s long-standing contributions to the country and his association with Bengaluru’s modern infrastructure milestones.
During his tenure, Singh inaugurated the city’s new international airport in 2008, now known as Kempegowda International Airport, which has since become a major hub for southern India. In 2011, he flagged off Namma Metro’s inaugural run between Baiyappanahalli and MG Road, laying the foundation for a mass transit system that transformed daily commuting in the city.
The government said renaming the university was a way of embedding Singh’s contributions in Bengaluru’s academic and civic identity.
