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The announcement has been made amid the controversy over Union Minister Jitendra Singh’s recent remarks on the naming of the premier institute.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. (file photo)
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday said the state government will write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union Education Ministry demanding renaming of IIT Bombay as IIT Mumbai.
The announcement has been made amid the controversy over Union Minister Jitendra Singh’s recent remarks on the naming of the premier institute.
Minister of State for Science and Technology Singh had said at a function of IIT Bombay on Monday that thankfully the name of the institute has not been changed to Mumbai. He said, “As far as IIT Bombay is concerned, thank God it still has the same name. You have not changed it to Mumbai. So this is another compliment for you. And the same is true for Madras. It will remain IIT Madras.”
Speaking to reporters in Nagpur, Fadnavis stressed on the historic contribution of BJP leader Ram Naik in changing the name of the city from Bombay to Mumbai.
“First of all, everyone knows that BJP leader Ram Naik had made the biggest contribution in changing the name of Bombay to Mumbai. We always say Mumbai, not Bombay. We are constantly trying to ensure that ‘Bombay’ is changed to Mumbai,” he said.
“I will write to the Prime Minister and the Human Resource Development (Education) Minister to change the name of IIT Bombay to IIT Mumbai,” Fadnavis said.
This debate has also been raised by Raj Thackeray, who has linked it to the larger issue of Marathi identity and the upcoming Mumbai civic elections. He compared the situation to the central government’s first attempt to “snatch” Chandigarh from Punjab, warning that a similar move could be taken in Mumbai. Urging Marathi residents to remain alert, he said, “Our Marathi Mumbai remained in Maharashtra. Now, the bitterness which was simmering in their minds for decades has once again started coming out.”
MNS workers on Wednesday displayed a banner outside IIT Bombay, renaming the institute as IIT Mumbai. Former BJP MP Kirit Somaiya also confirmed that the state government will send a formal proposal to the Center and said that the Bombay High Court should also be renamed as Mumbai High Court.
The city, formerly known as Bombay, was officially renamed Mumbai in 1995 to honor the local goddess Mumbadevi and erase the vestiges of British colonial rule.
(With inputs from PTI)
The news desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who chronicle and analyze the most important events happening in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, Desk…read more
The news desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who chronicle and analyze the most important events happening in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, Desk… read more
November 26, 2025, 7:57 pm IST
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