The Union Minister of State for Cooperation, Krishan Pal Gurjar, introduced the ‘Tribhuvan Sahkari University Bill, 2025’ in the Lok Sabha on Monday.
After the passage of the bill in the Lok Sabha, it will be sent to the Rajya Sabha for approval, and once passed, it will be sent to the President of India for her consent. It is assumed that there is nothing controversial in the bill, and it is expected to be passed smoothly in both houses of Parliament.
The bill aims to establish the Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA) as a university, to be known as the ‘Tribhuvan Sahkari University,’ and to declare it as an institution of national importance.
According to the bill, the university will be dedicated to imparting technical and management education and training in the cooperative sector, promoting cooperative research and development, and striving for global excellence in these areas to achieve the vision of “Sahkar Se Samriddhi” while strengthening the cooperative movement in the country through a network of institutions.
The bill also declares the existing institute as one of the schools of the university and covers matters related to its establishment and functioning.
It provides for the formulation of regulations by any authority, ensuring they are consistent with the provisions of this Act, as well as the statutes and ordinances made under it.
The bill mandates the preparation of an annual report of the university and the maintenance of proper annual accounts, which will be audited by the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India.
It also establishes a University Fund to support its financial activities.
Additionally, the university will be open to individuals of all castes, creeds, races, and classes, adhering to the Central Government’s policy on reservations in admissions and employment.
The Central Government will have the authority to review and inspect the university’s work and progress, with the power to issue directions accordingly.
The bill further provides for the appointment of a Chancellor, whose terms and conditions of service will be determined by the statutes.
Gujarat-based IRMA, which will be known as the ‘Tribhuvan Sahkari University,’ was established in 1979 under the leadership of Dr. Verghese Kurien, the Father of the White Revolution in India, with support from the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), the Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation (SDC), the Government of India, the Government of Gujarat, and the erstwhile Indian Dairy Corporation.
IRMA is a premier institution of professional learning that offers management programs with a focus on understanding real-world management challenges and the socio-economic realities of underserved communities through intensive fieldwork.
