Bill on setting 2 central universities in Bihar introduced

The Central Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2012 was introduced by HRD Minister M M Pallam Raju amid din over the FDI in retail issue.

The amendment will enable opening a central university in Motihari in addition to the one in Gaya, which is already functioning from a temporary location. The Act had a provision for setting two central universities in Jammu and Kashmir as a special case.

The university in Motihari will be named as Central University of North Bihar and the one at Gaya will be named as Central University of South Bihar, said the statement of objects and reasons of the amendment bill.

"In view of the pressing demand for establishment of one more central university in Bihar and to minimise regional imbalances in higher education, it is proposed to establish one more central university in Bihar," it said.

It noted that a resolution had also been passed by the Bihar Legislature requesting the Centre to establish the central university at Motihari. Several MPs have also raised the issue for establishing more than one central university in Bihar to speed-up all round development of the state.

At present, the central university in Gaya is functioning from a temporary location at the Birla Institute of Technology campus in Patna.