Bill converts National Rail Institute into Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya

The goal is to establish an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Railways to provide high-quality teaching, research, and skill development in transportation, technology, and management.

Who it concerns: The Bill affects the National Rail and Transportation Institute, Vadodara (which becomes Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya), its employees, the Ministry of Railways (as the sponsoring and funding body), and the Central Government. It also impacts the broader transportation sector by creating a new educational and research body with jurisdiction over the whole of India.

What the bill does

• Establishes Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya as a body corporate under the Central Universities Act, 2009.
• Specifies that the University will be sponsored and funded by the Central Government in the Ministry of Railways.
• Extends the territorial jurisdiction of the University to the whole of India.
• Transfers all movable and immovable properties, rights, and liabilities from the National Rail and Transportation Institute, Vadodara, to Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya.
• Ensures that existing employees retain their tenure, remuneration, and terms and conditions; if terms are altered and unacceptable to the employee, they may be terminated with compensation (three months' remuneration for permanent employees, one month for others).
• Allows the incumbent Vice-Chancellor of the former institute to hold office for six months or until the first Vice-Chancellor of the new University is appointed, whichever is earlier.
• Mandates the University to take additional measures for high-quality teaching, research, and skill development in transportation, technology, and management, including establishing centers in India and abroad.

Also in the document

• The Bill is an amendment to an existing Act (Central Universities Act, 2009).
• The Financial Memorandum states that the conversion entails no additional financial implication as it is a change in status from a deemed university to a Central University.
• The Bill was introduced in Lok Sabha on July 21, 2022, by Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of Education; Skill Development & Entrepreneurship.