Amid plans to turn the Patna University centenary year celebrations into a grand affair, voices demanding central university status for the heritage study cradle stand opposed.

A section of teachers and officials are of the opinion that the centenary-year celebrations in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the chief guest is the right time and occasion to stake claim to the central university status. However, vice-chancellor (VC) Rash Bihari Prasad Singh has categorically stated that he will not make any fresh demand before the Prime Minister on the issue.

The VC said: "We have invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi as our guest, we will not make any fresh demand, among them granting central university status to the university. If officials from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) seek information about according Patna University central university status, we will be happy and ready to share details about its rich glory and history so that it gains central university status."

However, Patna University Teachers' Association (Puta) and its non-teaching association have decided to demand central university status for Patna University.

Puta president Randhir Kumar Singh said: "As the VC has raised his hands over demanding central university status for the varsity before the Prime Minister, the teachers' body will write to the PMO seeking the same. The Puta is an independent body representing teachers and in this capacity, we can raise the demand for central university status for our varsity."

Even varsity registrar Rabindra Kumar said granting central university status to Patna University was a long-pending demand, which should be granted.

Rabindra Kumar said: "The varsity has already submitted its proposal for according central university status to Patna University. The varsity will pursue its demand so that the varsity gets central university status soon."

A senior teacher at Patna University said: "The demand for central university status is not an easy task. Patna University is a state university. So the state government has to submit its proposal to the Centre with a no-objection certificate. Second, as the varsity has no engineering or medical college under its aegis, it becomes a tough task for the varsity to gain central university status. Third, in Bihar, there are already two central universities and in such a situation, it is unlikely that the university's demand will be accepted."

The teacher was referring to how the Bihar College of Engineering under Patna University was upgraded to a National Institute of Technology (NIT) and Patna Medical College and Hospital was shifted from the aegis of Patna University to under Aryabhatt Knowledge University over the years.

But considering that neighbouring Uttar Pradesh has four central universities, the Patna University Teachers' Association are still keeping their fingers crossed. University functionaries are hopeful that Modi will announce its conversion into a central university if he attends the celebrations. They recalled that the varsity had started as a central university in 1917, but it was taken over by the state government after Independence.