Parliament passes Central Universities (Amendment) Bill 2022.

August 9, 2022

Parliament has passed the Central Universities (Amendment) Bill 2022 with the Rajya Sabha with a voice vote. The Lok Sabha had already passed the Bill. The Bill seeks to amend the Central Universities Act, 2009, which provides for establishing central universities in various states.
It also seeks to convert the National Rail and Transportation Institute at Vadodara into the Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya which will be a central university.
The National Rail and Transportation Institute was declared a deemed university. The Bill provides that Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya will take measures to provide quality teaching, research and skill development in disciplines related to transportation, technology and management.
Speaking on the Bill, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw highlighted its importance, saying that the transport sector is an important sector in the economy. He said, railways, highways and waterways infrastructure will be pushed through the Gati Shakti master plan. The Minister said, a talented, well- trained and focused cadre is required to promote the vision of PM Gati Shakti.
He said, the jurisdiction of the University is not only confined to Gujarat as it will cover the entire country. Mr. Vaishnaw said, Railways has made provision of 166 crore rupees for this University along with additional funds for infrastructure development. He said, over three lakh 50 thousand recruitments have been done in the Railways in the last eight years.