Central Universities (Amendment) Bill 2022 seeks to create the Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya: Edu Min

The Minister said that the plan was to unify different departments to create a new infrastructure where various transport sector elements will coordinate with each other on the platform of Gati Shakti
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan | (Pic: PTI)
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan | (Pic: PTI)

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan discussed the Central Universities (Amendment) Bill 2022 in the Lok Sabha on August 3, Wednesday. He asserted that the Bill will generate appropriate human resources to meet the needs of the growing infrastructure of the country.

The Minister also stated that the Bill seeks to create the Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya. It also aims to build a global standard multi-modal, multi-sectoral academic ecosystem. He said that the plan was to unify different departments to create a new infrastructure where various transport sector elements — railway, road, waterways, aviation and port along with IT — will coordinate with each other on the platform of Gati Shakti Mission.

"This is a 21st Century infrastructure that we are trying to create. For this infrastructure, an equally robust human resource has to be generated. Such a deemed university is being run by the Railways — a multi-sectoral, multi-modal, multi-dimensional and multi-disciplinary institute — since 2018. Now, the time has come to expand it," Pradhan said, as per a PTI report.

The National Rail and Transportation Institute, Vadodara, will be renamed as the Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya after the proposed amendment is passed. It will be India's first transport institute. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the focus of the institute will be on five major aspects — transport focused courses, skill development, applied research, technology development and transport economics and infrastructure financing.

"While the headquarters will be in Vadodara, there will be campuses across the country that will be developed as centres of excellence. Transportation is a complex sector and globally all countries have such institutes. I would specially request the Opposition to not play with the futures of students and get back to their seats. I urge them to support the Bill unanimously," the Railway Minister added.

BJP MP from Vadodara Ranjanaben Bhatt, supported the Bill, stating that the advancement of technology has made it imperative for training in specialised fields and the need for such courses which would guarantee immediate jobs. She also referred to advanced technology being used in Railways' anti-collision device for trains and the Vande Bharat train. She added that such kinds of institutes were prevalent in countries like Russia, Japan, China, USA and UK, as per PTI.

The Bill was supported by many others in the Parliament. However, the supporters also raised other issues. JDU's Kaushalendra Kumar spoke about granting central university status to Patna University and the Nava Nalanda Mahavihara University. BJD's Chandra Sekhar Sahu demanded more central universities in Odisha.

Meanwhile, Hasnain Masoodi of the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference Party questioned why such central universities are always being established in Gujarat and demanded that an institute of tourism and hospitality be established in Pahalgam.

Minister Dharmendra Pradhan also addressed the issue of vacancies in central universities. He told the Lok Sabha that all pending vacancies, including for the reserved category, in various central universities would be filled in the next 12-18 months, as per PTI.

"There are many vacancies reserved for the deprived sections of society. Efforts are on to fill all pending vacancies reserved for SC/ST/OBC and economically weaker section (EWS) in the central universities. A special drive has been undertaken and recruitment will be done in mission mode. Pending vacancies would be filled over the next one and one-and-a-half years," he said.

It has been reported that about 6,000 teaching posts are lying vacant across various central universities.

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