Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan introduced the Central Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2021, in the Lok Sabha. It is the bill that seeks to amend the Central Universities Act, 2009, to provide for the establishment of a university in the Union territory of Ladakh.
According to the Statement of Objects and Reasons of the bill, piloted by Minister Pradhan, at present, there is no central university in Ladakh and therefore, the government has decided to establish a new central university there. This university will ensure an increase in accessibility and quality of higher education and facilitate and promote avenues of higher education and research for the people of the Union territory.
The Union Cabinet had last month approved the establishment of a central university and an integrated multi-purpose infrastructure development corporation for Ladakh. The decision to set up the central university at a cost of Rs 750 crore and the corporation with a fund of Rs 25 crore for Ladakh was taken at a meeting of the Union Cabinet chaired by the prime minister.
