Hyderabad: Osmania University was the first varsity of India which provided higher education in Urdu medium. The seventh Nizam of Hyderabad Mir Osman Ali Khan founded it, but as time passed, the medium of instruction was also changed to English. The original logo of OU has also changed, something which many alumni are not happy about.
The original logo of the Osmania University had both Arabic and Urdu inscriptions. The upper part of the logo had Nizam turra (crown) of Nawab Mir Osman Ali Khan, the seventh Nizam and the founder of Osmania University. The crown was surrounded by wandering beams of lights and the words Noorun Ala Noor were printed in Arabic.
Looking at the logo of the university, it would be difficult to think that this is the same university which once had Urdu as its medium of instruction. Just the Urdu letter ‘ain’ in Urdu remained on it. The government and administration was helpless in this regard, as they could not remove it because the name of the university is still Osmania which begins in Urdu with the letter ‘ain’.
(An earlier version of this report said that the logo was changed after Telangana was formed. The error is regretted)