Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah will lay the foundation stone for India’s first national-level cooperative university, Tribhuvan Sahkari University (TSU), on July 5, 2025, in Anand, Gujarat. The ceremony will also include a traditional bhoomi pujan and will be attended by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendrabhai Patel and Assembly Speaker Shankar Chaudhary.
Joining them will be Union Ministers of State for Cooperation Krishan Pal Gurjar and Muralidhar Mohol, Gujarat’s Education Minister Rishikesh Patel, Cooperation Minister Jagdish Vishwakarma, Secretary of the Ministry of Cooperation Dr. Ashish Kumar Bhutani, TSU Vice Chancellor Dr. J.M. Vyas, and several other dignitaries.
The university is being set up under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the guidance of Amit Shah as a landmark step in building capacity and expertise in the cooperative sector. It aligns with the vision of ‘Sahkar se Samriddhi’ and is expected to become a hub for nurturing innovation, employment, and cooperative excellence.
Shah will also take part in the tree plantation campaign “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam”, a growing national movement inspired by the Prime Minister, which blends environmental responsibility with cultural values.
Additionally, Shah will unveil a school-level educational module created by NCERT to introduce young students to the values and significance of cooperation and the cooperative movement in India.
The establishment of TSU is aimed at preparing a skilled and professionally trained workforce for the rapidly expanding cooperative ecosystem. It will offer education, research, and training in cooperative management, finance, law, and rural development. This will not only strengthen grassroots institutions but also promote best practices and innovation, ensuring improved governance and inclusive economic growth in rural India.
Following the National Education Policy 2020, TSU will offer flexible and multidisciplinary academic programs including PhDs, managerial degrees, supervisory diplomas, and operational-level certificates.
It plans to set up subject-specific schools across states and build a national network to unify and standardize cooperative education. Over the next four years, the university aims to connect more than 200 existing cooperative institutions across India.
The university has set an ambitious target to train around 20 lakh personnel from cooperatives such as Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS), dairy, and fisheries sectors within five years. This will help meet the vast training needs of nearly 40 lakh cooperative employees and 80 lakh board members.
To address the shortage of qualified faculty, TSU will run PhD programs focused on cooperative studies and build a strong pool of trained educators. Currently, cooperative education in India remains fragmented and limited to a few regions—something this university seeks to change.
TSU will also establish a dedicated research and development council to focus on innovation and cost-effective technologies tailored for rural cooperatives. It will work with affiliated institutions and collaborate with leading national and global organizations to bring world-class cooperative practices to India.
