The Assam government has decided to rename the medical college in Barpeta, removing the name of former Indian President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed. It will now be called Barpeta Medical College and Hospital. The move is part of an effort to make government college names consistent across the state.
At a recent cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma explained that most government medical colleges in Assam are named after their location, including colleges in Guwahati, Dhubri, Silchar, Bongaigaon, Biswanath, and Sonitpur. The Barpeta college was the only one named after a person, which officials said did not match the standard naming pattern.
The government also said the name change will help reduce confusion among the public. Because the college previously carried a person’s name, some people thought it was a private institution. Renaming it after its district makes it clear that it is a government college.
The Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Medical College and Hospital was established in 2011 and started undergraduate courses in 2012. It later expanded to offer postgraduate programs. The college serves students and patients in Barpeta and surrounding areas.
Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed was the seventh President of India and the only one from Assam. To honour his legacy, the government has said another institution of equal or higher importance will be named after him, though details have not been announced yet.
Observers note that the renaming comes just before the upcoming Assam Assembly elections. While some see it as a political decision, the state government maintains that the change is administrative, aimed at standardising college names and improving clarity, rather than reducing the former President’s recognition.
The new name will come into effect once the state government issues a formal notification.
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