Mumbai: Mumbai University to start music college on Lata Mangeshkar's birth anniversary

Mumbai: Mumbai University plans to launch the Bharat Ratna Lata Dinanath Mangeshkar International Music College and Museum with the first six certificate courses on September 28, the 93rd birth anniversary of legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar, who passed away on February 6.

This decision was taken at a cabinet meeting presided over by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday. “If the decision is taken by the cabinet then it will happen,” said a university official to the Free Press Journal.

In August this year, the state government handed over a 7,000-square metre plot owned by the Directorate of Libraries in the Kalina campus of Mumbai University for the music college. As a temporary measure, till the college gets its own building, it will function from the P.L. Deshpande Academy, Shinde said. Ironically, some officials from Mumbai University were not privy to these updates on Lata Dinanath Mangeshkar International Music College.

The one-year certificate courses in Hindustani classical music, Indian flute, tabla, sitar, harmonium/keyboard, and sound engineering will be launched with an initial intake of 150 students.

Lata Mangeshkar desired to start such a music college in memory of her father, Master Dinanath Mangeshkar, and the former Maha Vikas Aghadi government's former Minister Aditya Thackeray had shown her the plot which she had liked.

After her demise, former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray announced that a world-class music college would come up in memory of 'Lata didi', as she was known during her lifetime.

Later, the government set up a 14-member expert advisory board for the college courses which included Chairman Hridaynath Mangeshkar, Usha Mangeshkar, Adinath Mangeshkar, Suresh Wadkar, Mayuresh Pai, Zakir Hussain, A.R. Rahman, and other personalities.

To start with, the teaching posts will be on an emoluments basis and clerical/typist jobs will be filled on an external basis, machinery, equipment, and other requirements will be purchased, all at a cost of nearly Rs 1.75 crore per month. This fulfills a commitment made by the state government to start the music college from the current academic year in memory of Lata Mangeshkar.

(With inputs from IANS)