Continuing to shower favours on Congress president Sonia Gandhi's lok Sabha constituency, the Manmohan Singh Government on Thursday approved the setting up of two universities in Rae Bareli in one go — India's first-ever national aviation university and the first women-only university.
While the aviation university will be named after Rajiv Gandhi, the women-only university will be named after Indira Gandhi.
The two projects involve funding worth Rs700 crore during the 12th Five Year Plan.
The Rajiv Gandhi National Aviation University, which will be a Central University, will be set up on a 26-acre plot at the Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Udaan Academy (IGRUA) at Fursatganj, Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari told reporters here.
The aviation university will impart complete training to pilots, cabin crew and aircraft engineers and will get an estimated funding of Rs202 crore during the 12th Plan period. Of this, Rs80 crore has already been sanctioned by the Centre. The university would be an autonomous body under the administrative control of the Civil Aviation Ministry.
A Bill to establish the university, which is being given final touches by the law Ministry, is likely to be brought in the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament,
Tewari said adding the Cabinet also approved creation of the post of Vice-Chancellor by selection through a Search and Selection Committee headed by the Cabinet Secretary
and a temporary post of Project Director to implement the project.
In 2006, the Kaw Committee had recommended setting up of a national aviation university in India.
The Indira Gandhi National University for Women will be located in Rae Bareli and focus on research and higher studies. It will be set up at a cost of Rs500 crore during the 12th Plan period.
The Indira Gandhi National University for Women Bill will also be introduced in the Monsoon Session of Parliament, Tewari said adding that the varsity will be set up following its passage.
The establishment of the varsity would "set the pace for all-round growth and development of women in the country and supplement the Government's efforts for women's empowerment by giving them an increased access to employment-oriented basic courses and high-end research," a Government statement said.
Of the total of 121 crore population in the country, there are 58.6 crore women. They constitute 9.5 crore of the population in Uttar Pradesh alone.
The nod for establishment of the two varsities is in line with the Government's focus on the UPA chairperson's constituency. In fact, the Opposition had even dubbed the Railway Budget as Rae Bareli Budget.