• UGI USER
  • Feb 05, 2025
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Centre Plans National Cooperative University for Growth

Why in the news?

The Union government introduced the Tribhuvan Sahkari University Bill, 2025, aiming to establish India’s first national cooperative university to enhance education, training, and research in the cooperative sector, strengthening its role in the economy.

Introduction of the Bill:

  • Union Minister of State for Cooperation, Krishan Pal Gurjar, introduced the Tribhuvan Sahkari University Bill, 2025 in Lok Sabha to establish a national cooperative university.
  • The university will be declared an institution of national importance and will be based on the campus of the Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA).

Proposed Features and Global Significance

  • The university will offer technical and management education focused on the cooperative sector, including training, research, and development.
  • It aims to meet global standards of excellence and strengthen India’s cooperative movement.
  • The concept is not new, with countries like Germany, Kenya, Colombia, and Spain already having cooperative universities.

IRMA’s Role and the Cooperative Sector:

  • The new university will incorporate IRMA, a premier institution in rural management in Anand, Gujarat, as a Centre of Excellence for rural management. IRMA’s autonomy and identity will be preserved.
  • The university will establish sector-specific schools to focus on dairy, fishery, banking, sugar, rural credit, and more.
  • The cooperative sector is integral to India’s economy, with substantial contributions in areas like agricultural credit, fertiliser production, milk procurement, and sugar production.
  • The university is seen as a step to address the fragmented educational infrastructure in the cooperative sector, aiming to meet the demand for qualified manpower.