Hyderabad: Institutions in Telangana bearing names of luminaries from the Andhra region may no longer exist as bifurcation of major universities will be completed within the year.
Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao had announced after a Cabinet meet on Wednesday after the Cabinet meet that N.G. Ranga Agricultural University and Venkateswara Veterinary University will be split and renamed after TRS ideologue Prof. K. Jayashankar and former PM P.V. Narsimha Rao.
Officials said the Telugu University and NTR University of Health Sciences will also be split by the end of the year.
Almost all the major universities and institutions located in Hyderabad are named after personalities hailing from the Andhra region. Acharya N.G. Ranga was a freedom fighter hailing from Guntur district. Potti Sriramulu hailed from Prakasam district and fought for the cause of Andhra while N.T. Rama Rao hailed from Krishna district.
“The Cabinet has taken a decision on the Agricultural University and Veterinary University and within the next six months the remaining two universities will also be divided. The Council for Higher Education will be divided in the next two months,” an official said.
However, it is not certain what will be the changed names of the two universities. “The government can also create a new university and name it after someone of its choice and whenever the original university is bifurcated, the Telangana part can be merged into this,” the official explained.
However, not just universities, there are host of other institutions and structures in Hyderabad that are named after Andhra personalities. During the Telangana agitations, the G.M.C. Balayogi athletic stadium was unofficially named the Bhagya Reddy Varma stadium. Other such structures, bearing names of Andhra figures, could also see a name change.
