The Faculty Association of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi has expressed apprehension over the government's proposal to rename all 23 AIIMS in the country. The Faculty Association of AIIMS Delhi has sought the opinion of its members on the proposal to give specific names to AIIMS across the country, reported PTI. The faculty has been asked to respond within two days.

In a note circulated among its members, the association said, "Identity is linked with the name and if the identity is lost, institutional recognition is lost both within the country and outside. And that is why famous and established universities such as Oxford, Cambridge and Harvard continue to have the same name for centuries. In India, the IITs have a name recognition which gives them an institution's identity and there is no proposal to change it. The same is true for the IIMs." The note was signed by association President Dr Achal Kumar Srivastava and General Secretary Dr Harshal Ramesh Salve.

"AIIMS, New Delhi (established in 1956) will face severe loss of identity and demoralisation if the name is changed. This will also affect the standing of India internationally as far as medical education, patient care and research is concerned. We at FAIMS seek your opinion on this very important issue, so that appropriate action can be taken," the note issued on September 2 stated. So far, AIIMS have always been known by the generic name, AIIMS, followed by the name of the city. Also, the sense of identity is so strong that Calcutta, Bombay and Madras Universities continue with the same name even though the cities they are located in have changed their names to Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai, the note added.

PTI reported that some of the AIIMS are already said to have submitted a list of names after the proposal by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The government has drafted a proposal to give specific names to all the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), including the one in Delhi, based on local or regional heroes of prominence, freedom fighters, historical events or monuments of the area or their distinct geographical identity, sources told PTI.