Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav announced that he was setting up a college in a village on par with the premier Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs). The institute will be named after Bollywood icon and Uttar Pradesh brand ambassador Amitabh Bachchan [Images].

"The college is in a village and it will be at par with IIT. We will also teach what IITs don't teach."

The star himself will inaugurate the Amitabh Bachchan Degree College in about four months.

The college would be in a village called Sefai in Etawa in Uttar Pradesh, said Yadav.

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He was addressing a session on Uttar Pradesh at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2005 celebrations at the NCPA complex in Mumbai on Saturday.

Bachchan, his wife Jaya, daughter Shweta, parliamentarians Raj Babbar, Jaya Prada and Shabana Azmi [Images], and Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh were also present at the function.

Yadav said he was focusing on equal education for children from all sections of society.

He said: "The youngsters of the village asked me to name the college after Bachchan due to their devotion to the great star, who is known all over the world. I could not hurt their sentiments."

Stressing the need to provide education in villages, he said the college would set an example for others.

Initially Yadav was not willing to disclose the name of the village where the college is located.

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"Amar Singh knows it and Raj Babbar would have understood by now," said Yadav.

An astonished Bachchan looked at him with curiosity and he reciprocated with smile.

"We will take you there in four months to inaugurate it. Then you will know," he told Bachchan.

Later, Yadav disclosed the name of the village when this correspondent asked him personally.

UP's brand ambassador Amitabh Bachchan urged the PBD delegates to invest in the state.