Council approves rename to Vagdevi Bhojpal University

The executive council of Barkatullah University in Bhopal has unanimously passed a proposal to rename the institution as Vagdevi Bhojpal University. The proposal will now be sent to the Madhya Pradesh government for a final decision, according to university officials.

University Registrar Samar Bahadur Singh stated the purpose of the change is to honor the region's historical and cultural heritage and the intellectual contributions of Raja Bhoj, an 11th-century ruler of the Paramara dynasty. The proposal notes that Bhopal's ancient name was considered to be Bhojpal. The university was originally established as Bhopal University in 1970 before being renamed in 1988 to honor Maulana Barkatullah Bhopali, a freedom fighter from the city.

Maulana Barkatullah was a prominent revolutionary who campaigned against British rule while living abroad. He was a key figure in the Ghadar movement and is noted for his role in establishing the Provisional Government of India in Kabul in 1915 alongside Raja Mahendra Pratap, serving as its prime minister. Historians describe him as a figure who worked to unite Hindus and Muslims in the independence struggle. He died in the United States in 1927.