Workers paint a wall of Patna College on Wednesday. Picture by Nagendra Kumar Singh

Patna, Jan. 4: Nobel laureate Amartya Sen, former President APJ Abdul Kalam or Hindi author Namvar Singh could deliver the Russell Memorial Lecture at Patna College, as part of the institution’s 150th year celebrations.

Preparation and renovation of Patna College for the start of the year-long celebration is on a war footing. The celebrations will start from next Monday.

Patna College principal Lalkeshwar Prasad Singh said: “Assembly Speaker Uday Narain Choudhary has given his consent to attend the main event on January 9. We have also invited Governor Devanand Konwar and chief minister Nitish Kumar. However, they are yet to give their nod.”

Among other programmes, the sesquicentenary (150th celebrations) of the institution will also see the revival of the Russell Memorial Lecture after the 1970s. Eminent personalities are expected to take the stage for the lecture, which was started in the memory of Russell, an English principal of the college before Independence. Sources said the institution stopped organising the lecture series in the lack of funds from the college and Patna University.

Singh confirmed that the college will host the lecture series in a bid to boost the academic atmosphere of the institution, which would not only benefit the students but also the faculty members.

On January 20, the college will also host a special meeting of the Bihar Legislative Council. Although the meeting was earlier planned at the Bankipore Club, later the Council decided to host the function at Patna College, as the upper House sat for the first time on the premises of the institution on January 20, 1913.

This January, the Council's special meeting will be conducted for four hours in two sessions. While the first session would be held between 11am and 1pm, the second session will start at 3 pm after a cultural programme.

Patna College teacher Randhir Kumar Singh said: “For the special session of the Council, encroachments around Patna College, in front of river Ganga, are being removed according to the directions of the district administration. On January 20, the chief minister will reach Patna College through the Ganga on boat.”

The college will also host round-the-year quiz competitions, debates and seminars as part of the sesquicentenary.