Pratibha Patil, Sharad Pawar, Narendra Modi, Ashok Chavan work at Marathwada university

Pratibha Patil, Sharad Pawar, Narendra Modi and Ashok Chavan meet each other on a daily basis.

Had it been their illustrious namesakes in Indian politics, eyebrows would have been raised, to say the least.

But not at the examinations department of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada university at Aurangabad, where the four are employed.

"When Pratibhatai's name was announced as next president of India, I was flooded with congratulatory calls," says Pratibha Patil, central assessment programme director at the department.

Like the first citizen of the country, she also hails from Khandesh region in north-west Maharashtra. Her father's name is also Narayanrao, as in the case of the president. 

Sharad Pawar who works at the university is a contract employee, while Ashok Chavan is controller of examinations. "I have not met chief minister Ashok Chavan but would like to. He also hails from Marathwada region and is young and dynamic," said Chavan.

Narendra Modi is a clerk at the department. And no, he isn't aware of the famous Shakespeare quote, "What's in a name?'