(National Institute of Railways and Transport)
New Delhi, India (Urban Transport News): Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan introduced the Central Universities (Amendment) Bill to Lok Sabha, which seeks to convert the National Railways and Transport Institute (NRTI), a reputable university, in Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya, a central self-governing university on August 1, 2022
The bill also seeks to broaden the scope of the university beyond just railways to cover the entire transport sector and support growth and modernization in the field. The new university, once the Bill has been approved by both Houses of Parliament, will be funded and administered by the Ministry of Railways (MoR).
“The Central Universities (Amendment) Bill 2022 seeks to amend the Central Universities Act 2009, among other things, to provide for the establishment of Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya as a body corporate under the said Act,” said declared Dharmendra Pradhan in the Bill’s ‘Declaration of Purposes and Motives’.
He said the establishment of the Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya will meet the need for talent in the strategically important and expanding transport sector and meet the demand for trained talent to fuel the growth and expansion of the sector.
“The proposed university will reverse the brain drain and create critical capabilities and capacities by developing masters and doctoral degrees in transportation, will greatly contribute to empowering the nation in the transportation sector through its training and digitization of India,” Pradhan added. .
He said the university will conduct much-needed research and development by creating innovative technologies to encourage local manufacturing and replace imports of expensive technologies, equipment and products.
The university will also take additional steps to provide high quality teaching, research and skills development in various disciplines related to transport, technology and management, including establishing centers in India and abroad. , added Pradhan.
The name of the university is inspired by the central government’s Rs100 Lakh PM-GatiShakti master plan for multimodal connectivity. The Gati Shakti Master Plan is essentially a digital platform bringing together 16 ministries including roads and railways for integrated planning and coordinated implementation of infrastructure connectivity projects such as Bharatmala, Sagarmala and railways inland waterways, dry and land ports and the UDAN.
