Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences to be renamed after Kengal Hanumanthiah

Bengaluru: In a major announcement, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has declared that the state-run Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) will be renamed after former chief minister Kengal Hanumanthiah.

RGUHS- that controls all the medical colleges in the state is reported to get a new name after one of the key contributors to the construction of Vidhan Soudha, Kengal Hanumanthiah.

The announcement has sparked controversies among the Vokkaliga community since the move was made ahead of the Karnataka Assembly elections 2023.

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CM Bommai made the announcement on Tuesday while laying the foundation for the university campus in Archakarahalli in the Ramanagara district approved at an estimated cost of Rs 600 crore. The university will become a major health centre as the campus will have a 1,000-bed hospital, medical college, and a medical research centre in Ramanagara.

Although the location change of the university was in talks for many years and has been later approved to be built in the Ramanagara district, it's sudden renaming of the university has thrown everything into chaos.

Explaining this, Bommai said a proposal was submitted by the higher education minister and Ramanagara district in charge, CN Ashwath Narayan to the state government regarding remaining the university. Later he agreed to rename the university after Hanumanthiah.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Bommai said, “Under who else can the university be named, other than the son of the soil, who has toiled hard for the development of Ramanagara and discharged his duties as a true leader for the state of Karnataka, Kengal Hanumanthaiah. I also direct RGHUS to immediately introduce the proposal in the syndicate meeting to rename the university under Kengal Hanumanthaiah’s name.”

Recalling Hanumanthiah’s contribution to Karnataka, Bommai said, “Kengal Hanumanthiah was a great freedom fighter and the key architect of the Karnataka power house- Vidhana Soudha. Serving as a railway minister in the Centre he also supported Karnataka in a big way. He also fought for the unification of Karnataka and was also a very dear friend to my father.” Bommai also assured that the university campus in Ramanagara will become a major health centre in India equipped with a medical college, research centre, and a 1000-bed hospital.

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