New Delhi: The Rajya Sabha today passed the Tribhuvan Sahkari University Bill, 2025, aimed to enhance the cooperative sector’s contribution to higher education in the country.
Union Minister of State for Cooperation Muralidhar Mohol replied to the discussion on the bill in the Upper House, following which the House passed the Bill. The Lok Sabha passed this Bill on March 26, 2025.
The bill aims to establish the Tribhuvan Sahkari University, which will focus on fostering skill development, research, and academic excellence in various fields. The university is expected to cater to the needs of the cooperative sector, which plays a vital role in the socioeconomic development of the nation.
The Minister said that an institutional system was necessary to bring dynamism in the cooperative sector and its expansion as many cooperatives had challenges like lack of efficiency, irregularities in management and limited use of technical resources, which affected their performance. Through this university, he said, the scope and effectiveness of the cooperative sector will increase, which will also create new opportunities for self-employment and innovation.
Mohol said that today, there was a need for proper training for efficiency and discipline at all levels, from the secretary of Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) to the managing director of Apex Bank. According to an estimate, the cooperative sector will need about 17 lakh trained youth in the next five years. In view of this need, he said the initiative to establish a university was taken. According to him, at present, the system of teaching and training in the cooperative sector is not adequate, and it is also scattered. “This university will fulfill the need of trained human resources in the cooperative sector and develop cooperative spirit in the youth of the country and inspire them to make a career in this field,” he said.
Introduced by the Ministry of Education, the bill received strong support from various political parties, highlighting the growing importance of cooperative models in addressing contemporary educational and social challenges. The university will be designed to offer a variety of academic programs that will equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary for success in the cooperative and social sector industries.
The passage of the bill in the Rajya Sabha comes after a series of discussions and deliberations in both houses of Parliament. The government has expressed its commitment to ensuring the smooth establishment of the university, which is expected to contribute significantly to the educational landscape and provide better opportunities for students interested in the cooperative sector.
The Tribhuvan Sahkari University will aim to strengthen the country’s cooperative sector through research, academic programs, and the development of human resources in alignment with the government’s vision for a more inclusive and resilient economy.
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah termed the passing of the Tribhuvan Sahkari University Bill, 2025 by the Rajya Sabha as a historic day for the cooperative sector of the country. He stated that cooperative education will now become an integral part of Indian education and curriculum, and through this university, trained youth from all over the country will make the cooperative sector more comprehensive, well-organized and modern-age friendly.
– global bihari bureau
