Tilka Manjhi Bhagalpur University wore a festive look on Sunday, as the administration celebrated its 55th foundation day with a glance at the past.

The university in Bhagalpur town, around 270km east of Patna, has seen several ups and down over the years, including the alleged fake degree case involving former Delhi law minister Jitendra Singh Tomar.

Ramashanker Dubey, the vice-chancellor (VC), is although hopeful of a turnaround as is pro-VC A.K. Roy. "It is still considered as one of the best universities with a favourable educational atmosphere and a disciplined campus," said Roy.

Carved out of the Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Bihar University, Muzaffarpur, it was established as the Bhagalpur University on July 12, 1960. In 1991, the university took the name of the legend, Tilka Manjhi. But scholars believe the university should study the character in detail.

"There is no reference to Tilka Manjhi in history. He was a character based on Jaurah Paharia, the 18th century bandit of the Rajmahal hills. The university should research on how the legend of Tilka Manjhi grew," said Raman Sinha, a senior history teacher at the university.

The university today has students from the state, Jharkhand and Bengal. Spread across 264 acres, the university has 36 departments among other facilities. Besides, it has several tie-ups with international universities.