Posts
Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU)
Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Bio Technology
Rajiv Gandhi Indian Institute of Management, Shillong (IIM-S)
Indira Gandhi National Tribal University
Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship
Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology
Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research
Indira Gangi Institute of Medical Sciences
Indira Ganghi Institute of Co-operative Management
Indira Gandhi Institute of Technology
Indira Gandhi Institute of Aeronautics
The North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences
Indira Ganhi Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Indira Gandhi Institute of Physical Education And Sports Science
Indira Gandhi Institute of Cardiology
Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA)
Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR)
Indira Gandhi Agricultural University
Indira Gandhi Memorial Library, University of Hyderabad
Indira Gandhi Government College. Affiliated to: Rajiv Gandhi University
Indira Gandhi Memorial Fellowships
Indira Gandhi Post-Graduate Scholarship for Single Girl Child
Rajiv Gandhi Univerisity, Arunachal Pradesh
Rajiv Gandhi Institute for Contemporary Studies
Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Technology(RIT), Kottayam
Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development (An Autonomous Organisation of Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, GOI)
Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences
Rajiv Gandhi Institute of IT & Biotech
Rajiv Gandhi Proudyogiki Vishwavidyalaya
Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Aquaculture
Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Aquaculture (RGCA)
Rajiv Gandhi Postgraduate Scholarship Scheme 2005
Rajiv Gandhi Scholarship Scheme for Students with Disabilities.
The Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship (RGNF) Scheme for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes.
Rajiv Gandhi Homoeopathic Medical College
Jawaharlal Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research
Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research
If you think I have given you a directory of all major higher educational institutions owned by the government in India, you are thoroughly mistaken. Then, what is this list? This is a list of government owned higher educational institutions (schemes etc.) bearing the name of a family member of the first Prime Minister of India, Mr. Jawaharlal Nehru. Interestingly, Nehru's name doesn't feature in the list as much as his daughter's and his grandson's. Mind you, this is just a name of institutions, scholarships, programs etc. connected with education. And even with regard to education, this is not an exhaustive list, but just an inclusive list. Add to this, innumerable number of development projects, other institutions etc and just read the list, you will have uttered the names Rajiv Gandhi and Indira Gandhi, more times than your grandmother uttered the name of God.
So, can you conclude from this list that the greatest human beings this nation/civilization of more than a few thousands years are Mrs. Indira Gandhi and her son Mr. Rajiv Gandhi. I am certainly not the one to draw such a conclusion. Though I tried my level best to link these people with academics, I failed. Both the mother and the son were academically average, if not below average. And during the process, I also came to know that a lot of our leaders had much much better academic credentials. Notable examples include Subhas Chandra Bose who stood 4th in the Indian Civil Service examination, at a time when Indians rarely cleared this prestigious examination, Arabindo and Ambedkar among hundreds of others.
Isn't this a shame that our leaders are doing this to just impress the Congress President Ms. Sonia Gandhi? A name- be it that of an air-port or a sea-port or an educational institution or a road- should tell a story. It should have some relevance. Look at the names of the top business schools (private or otherwise) of the USA or the UK like Sloan, Judge, Said, Rose, Kellogg etc. Though they are mostly the names of a donor to the university or the MBA course, they tell a story. It is thousand times better than naming it after Indira and Rajiv who have got nothing to do with those institutions. It is none of my business if a private individual names his own institution after these two people. What is objectionable is the central and state governments' shameless naming acts. These names hide from the world, India's glorious past and her thousands of great sons and daughters. I will not blame him/her, if a foreigner tells me there was no civilization in India before Jawaharlal Nehru. I will assume he must have been misled by all these names. I won’t be surprised at all if there is a Rahul Gandhi Indian Institute of Management or Priyanka Gandhi Indian Institute of Technology at some point in the future.
I will conclude this post by telling the Vishaka story that happened not so long ago. Hyderabad's Vishaka cricket stadium was sponsored by the Vishaka Group. Once its construction was completed, it was transferred to Hyderabad Cricket Association. The state government, particularly the Chief Minister Y.S Rajasekhar Reddy, did not like the name. So they decided to name it after Rajiv Gandhi. But only after paying Rs.6.5 crore for breach of contract to the Vishaka Group. Rs. 6.5 crore was thrown away by the Chief Minister who came to power on povert alleviation plank. And that too, just to please his boss.
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