Govt to amend Act for establishing central university in Ladakh

New Delhi: In an attempt to establish a new central university in the Union Territory of Ladakh by the name of Sindhu Central University, the government on Thursday introduced the Central Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2021 amid a din by opposition members over the Pegasus spying row and farmers' issue.

The proposal seeks to amend the existing Central Universities Act, 2009 for the establishment of a Central University.

However, Opposition members opposed the introduction of the bill by saying that there is a time-honoured convention of the House that till the time the House is not in order no legislation can be discussed.

According to the Statement of Objects and Reasons of the bill, which was introduced by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, at present there is no central university in Ladakh and therefore, the government has decided to establish a new central university there to ensure increase in accessibility and quality of higher education, and to facilitate and promote avenues of higher education and research for the people of the Union territory.

The amendment bill has been introduced in consequence of the announcement of establishing a new Central University in the Union Territory of Ladakh by Prime Minister in his address to the nation on August 15 last year.

"Ladakh has also identified about 110 acre of land at village Khaltsi, which is located in between Leh and Kargil," an official said, adding that as per estimates of recently approved Central Universities, a budgetary provision of Rs 750 crore would be required over the next seven years to meet the expenditure on establishment for the Sindhu Central University.

Following the establishment of a central university in Ladakh, it is estimated that about 4,000 students, who move to other cities for pursuing higher education, would get quality education within their UT.