The bill that Union Minister of State for Cooperation Krishan Pal Gurjar introduced in the Lok Sabha to establish the Tribhuvan Sahkari University is intended to serve as a beacon of knowledge, imparting technical and management education specific to the cooperative sector.
According to a national daily, the institute, planned on the 60-acre campus of the Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA), is aimed at achieving global benchmarks in educational excellence.
Since its establishment in 2021, the Ministry of Cooperation has advocated for such a flourishing institution of knowledge, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah emphasising a national cooperative university on multiple occasions.
As India’s first university dedicated to cooperatives, Tribhuvan Sahkari University draws inspiration from successful international models found in Germany, Kenya, Colombia, and Spain.
Founded by Dr Verghese Kurien in 1979, IRMA has long been a pillar of specialised education in rural management and development studies, backed by support from the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), the Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation (SDC), and the Indian and Gujarat governments.
Once the Tribhuvan Sahkari University Bill, 2025 is enacted, IRMA will enhance its mission as one of the university’s foundational schools, ensuring its autonomy and identity shine within the institutional framework. This recognition celebrates IRMA’s vital contributions and amplifies its responsibility to uplift the cooperative sector, aligning with the inspiring vision of “sahkar se samriddhi” (prosperity through cooperatives), as noted by IRMA director Umakant Dash.
The university’s commitment to cooperative education, training, research, and development presents an opportunity to strengthen the cooperative movement in India.
Sector-specific faculties will focus on dairy, fisheries, sugar, banking, rural credit, cooperative finance, marketing, accounting, auditing, and multi-state cooperatives. Ultimately, this initiative will weave a comprehensive pan-India network of collaborative education and training institutes.
The cooperative sector is the cornerstone of India’s economy, with its significant contributions reflecting a collective spirit: 19% of agricultural credit, 35% of fertiliser distribution, 25% of fertiliser production, 31% of sugar production, 10% of milk production and procurement, 13% of wheat procurement, 20% of paddy procurement, and 21% of fish production.
Recognising the need for an empowered educational and training infrastructure, the government is set to transform the landscape of cooperative societies, meeting the demand for skilled professionals dedicated to this sector.
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