On Tuesday, the Lok Sabha approved a measure that will turn the National Rail and Transportation University, a deemed-to-be-university, into the autonomous central university, Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya. The Central Universities (Amendment) Bill was approved by voice vote following a brief discussion. The bill aims to broaden the university’s reach beyond the railroads to include the entire transport sector in order to support the ambitious growth and modernization in the field. Dharmendra Pradhan, the minister of education, commented on the discussion.
The law was presented on Monday by the minister of education. According to Pradhan’s Statement of Objects and Reasons for the Bill, “The Central Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2022 aims to modify the Central Universities Act, 2009, among other things, to provide for the formation of Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya as a body corporate under the said Act.” The creation of Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya, according to him, would meet the requirement for trained manpower to support the growth and expansion of the transportation sector, which is strategically significant and growing.
Pradhan stated that the proposed university would “reverse brain drain,” “build vital capability and capacity,” and “go a long way in making the nation self-reliant in the transportation industry through its initiatives for skilling and digitising India.” He claimed that by developing cutting-edge technologies, the institution will conduct urgently required research and development, support local manufacturing, and eliminate the need for expensive technology, equipment, and product imports. According to Pradhan, the university will also take additional steps to provide top-notch instruction, research, and skill development in a variety of fields connected to transportation, technology, and management, including opening centres both domestically and overseas.
The flagship Rs 100 lakh crore PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan for multi-modal connectivity inspired the naming of the university. The Gati Shakti Master Plan is essentially a digital platform that unites 16 ministries, including those in charge of roads and trains, to plan and execute infrastructure connectivity projects in concert. It aims to include infrastructure plans from multiple state and federal ministries, including UDAN, Bharatmala, Sagarmala, inland waterways, dry and land ports, and Sagarmala.
