Bhawanipatna, Dec 29: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik granted his approval to the proposal put forth by the Higher Education Department to rename Kalahandi University in Bhawanipatna as Maa Manikeshwari University.
The decision is significant as Goddess Maa Manikeshwari is revered as the guardian deity of Kalahandi district.
Established in 2001, Kalahandi University oversees 50 colleges. During his visit to Kalahandi district in November, the Chief Minister had publicly declared his intention to rename Kalahandi University in honor of Maa Manikeshwari.
Worth mentioning, the Odisha government had accorded university status to Bhawanipatna Autonomous College in 2019 by altering the territorial jurisdiction of Sambalpur University under the provisions of Odisha Universities Act. The varsity was then named as Kalahandi University.
