Barkatullah University in Bhopal will be renamed Vagdevi Bhojpal University, the Navbharat Times reported on Thursday.The long-standing proposal was accepted by the institute’s executive council and the decision will need to be approved by the Madhya Pradesh governor, who is the university’s chancellor.In 1988, the university was named after Mohamed Barakatullah Bhopali, a freedom fighter from the city. Born in 1854, Bhopali served as the prime minister in India’s first provisional government-in-exile established in Afghanistan between 1915 and 1919.The new name is aimed at reflecting the historical and cultural heritage of Bhopal, NDTV quoted the proposal as having stated. “Vagdevi” is another name for Hindu goddess of knowledge Saraswati and “Bhojpal” is a reference to King Bhoj.The proposal accepted by the university’s executive council said that as compared to King Bhoj, “no significant contribution” to the region made by Bhopali was evident other than him having been a resident of the city, NDTV reported.In August, the Bhopal Municipal Corporation passed a proposal to rename three institutions in the city named after Hamidullah Khan, the last nawab of Bhopal. Several landmarks in Bhopal have been renamed in the last few years. In 2021, the city’s Habibganj railway station was renamed after Kamlapati, a Gond princess who ruled the region in the 18th century.In January 2025, 11 villages in the Bhopal district were renamed by the state government.Edited by Tanya Shrivastava.