Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state Gujarat is set to get the second central university which will be known as Gati Shakti University, a name sounding similar to the central government’s scheme PM Gati Shakti.
The Union Cabinet on Wednesday will consider a proposal of education ministry to upgrade National Rail and Transport University (NRTU) in Vadodara to a central university. Currently NRTU is a deemed university offering BSc in transportation technology, BBA in transportation management courses, MSc in railway system engineering and integration.
The Prime Minister has launched the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, which aims at improving connectivity across the country.
Abha Dev Habib, an associate professor at Miranda House College under Delhi University, said converting a deemed university to a central university by changing its name does not help the education sector.
“In front of us, Delhi Engineering College has been upgraded to a university by the Delhi government. There is no evidence to suggest that the institution has improved its performance. Giving a fancy name is not going to help the education sector,” Habib said.
She said high education sector needs more public funding and decision-making power to institutions. She said National Education Policy has advocated Multi-disciplinary Education and Research Universities (MERU).
“NRTU is focused on the transportation sector. When NEP promotes MERU, and multi-disciplinary approach within institutions, the proposal to convert a NRTU to a central university does not gel well with the spirit of NEP,” she said.
In December 2017, Union Cabinet had approved a proposal of the railways ministry to set up the first ever NRTU in Vadodara. Earlier in October 2016, the Prime Minister had announced the government’s intent to set up the university in Vadodara.
“This university is the Prime Minister’s brain child. Now it is a deemed university. Once it becomes a central university, it will enjoy greater autonomy,” said an education ministry official.
As a deemed university, NRTU has to follow the deemed universities regulations of University Grants Commission (UGC). The institute is not allowed to affiliate any institution.
Modi in 2015 August had announced a Bihar package, including a central university at Bhagalpur. The central government is yet to set up the institute.
However, so many institutions of Gujarat have witnessed upgradation in this period. In 2020, the government brought a bill to grant Institute of National Importance (INI) status to Gujarat-based Ayurvedic institution in Jamnagar.
