Several amendments were proposed to the Tribhuvan Sahkari University Bill, but most were rejected by the majority. One such amendment, moved by TMC MP Saugata Roy, suggested renaming the university as the National Cooperative University while highlighting the contributions of Verghese Kurien.
Responding to this, Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah asserted that a university cannot be named after multiple individuals. He clarified Tribhuvandas Patel’s pivotal role in Amul’s foundation, stating that Patel first conceived the idea of Amul and appointed Verghese Kurien.
“The cooperative model behind Amul, its focus on women empowerment, and its spirit of self-reliance were all Patel’s vision,” Shah emphasized. He further noted that Patel sent Kurien to the Netherlands for advanced dairy studies and was a staunch Congressman, not affiliated with the BJP.
Reaffirming the government’s respect for Kurien’s contributions, Shah remarked, “No Congress-led state is even acknowledging Kurien’s centenary, while Gujarat is celebrating it.”
Meanwhile, the Lok Sabha passed the Tribhuvan Sahkari University Bill, upgrading IRMA into India’s first cooperative university. The bill, introduced by Amit Shah, was passed by voice vote, with Speaker Om Birla announcing its approval at 6:25 PM.
The university will be recognized as an institution of national importance, specializing in technical and management education for cooperatives. It aligns with the government’s vision of “Sahkar Se Samriddhi” (Prosperity through Cooperation) and aims to train 8 lakh cooperative professionals annually from its first year.
Additionally, the university will integrate IRMA as one of its schools, fostering research, development, and institutional collaboration to strengthen India’s cooperative sector.
