Chandigarh: Panjab University to rename Arts Block 3 after Manmohan Singh
Speaking about this, PU vice-chancellor Renu Vig said that they had reached out to Manmohan Singh’s daughter Upinder Singh regarding this and the event will be conducted either on April 25 or April 26 in which Upinder will come down to PU to deliver a colloquium lecture as well while the building will officially be renamed after him
After Panjab University (PU) had taken a call to rename Arts Block 3 which houses PU’s department of economics after former prime minister Manmohan Singh, the event to do this has been finalised for April end.
Speaking about this, PU vice-chancellor Renu Vig said that they had reached out to Manmohan Singh’s daughter Upinder Singh regarding this and the event will be conducted either on April 25 or April 26 in which Upinder will come down to PU to deliver a colloquium lecture as well while the building will officially be renamed after him.
Vig added that the exact date hasn’t been finalised yet, but they are gearing up to host the event on either of these two dates which have been suggested by his daughter. Upinder Singh, is his eldest daughter, and is known to be a renowned historian. She is the dean of faculty at Ashoka University.
PU has previously renamed buildings after its most distinguished alumni as well. In 2023, after historian BN Goswamy passed away, PU renamed their Fine Arts Museum after him. Following Singh’s demise on December 26, 2024, Vig had constituted a committee to look into how the university could pay tribute to him.
The committee subsequently recommended renaming the Arts Block 3 after Singh. Apart from the economics department, Arts Block 3 also houses the university business school and department of public administration.
The university will also prepare a plaque, detailing the life and contributions of the late prime minister, which will be installed in the building. Upinder Singh will deliver a colloquium lecture, when the plaque and the new name of the building are officially unveiled.
Singh had a long association with PU, obtaining his bachelor’s degree in economics in 1952 and master’s degree in 1954, standing first in his class.
Not much long later, he returned to his alma mater as a faculty member, serving as senior lecturer (1957–1959), reader (1959–1963) and professor of economics (1963–1965). For his contributions, he was awarded Honorary Doctor of Literature (DLitt) on March 12, 1983, and Honorary Doctor of Laws (LLD) on March 11, 2009.
He continued engaging with PU even after his teaching tenure and returned to the campus in 2018 at the age of 85 to deliver the inaugural Prof SB Rangnekar Memorial Oration. This was his last visit to PU.
