Four CMs passed out from Uttarakhand’s only central university

DEHRADUN: Three of Uttarakhand’s 10 chief ministers, as well as Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath are alumni of Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University (HNBGU), the hill state’s only central university. The university, which was established as a state university in 1973, was converted to a central university in 2009.
While former chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has a journalism degree from HNBGU, his successor Tirath Singh Rawat not only graduated from the university but was also the students’ union president there.Former Uttarakhand chief minister and Union education minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ received his MA degree from the university whereas UP CM Yogi Adityanath did his BSc in Mathematics from the university. Incidentally, all the four (present and former) CMs hail from the Pauri district of Garhwal.
Speaking to TOI, professor CS Sood, who has been teaching in the university for over 40 years now, said, “Garhwal University has a rich history of student politics. I remember Tirath Singh Rawat as the president of the students’ union. He was a man of very few words and an average orator but he worked hard with the students.” Sood is now the dean of the school of humanities and social sciences. He further recalled, “We remember Yogi Adityanath as a committed worker in Kotdwar. But it was Nishank who caught everyone’s eye during his student days. He was and still is a very good orator. He is highly talented and is very understanding. He also had a very good connection with the people even then.”Remembering the college days of the newly swornin CM, Rajeshwar Uniyal, a former HNBGU professor, said, “He always had the qualities of becoming a fine politician. He was always willing to serve people and fight for their rights. The state needed a CM like him.”
In a similar vein, DD Maithani, geography professor (retired) at HNBGU, said, “Tirath is a soft spoken person and very down-to-earth. He is truly a nationalist andvery respectful towards his elders.”