Parliament passes bill to upgrade RAU into central varsity

A bill to upgrade the Rajendra Agricultural University in Bihar into a central university was today passed by both Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha on the same day, possibly a rare development.
The bill seeks further development of agriculture and advancement of learning and research in agriculture and allied science.
The bill was first passed by the Rajya Sabha and hours later, the Lok Sabha approved it without any discussion.
Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said the institute was set up by British government in 1904 and was shifted to Delhi-based Pusa after the earthquake in Bihar.
The Bill declares the existing Rajendra Agricultural University in Pusa, Bihar which was incorporated under the Bihar Agricultural University Act, 1987 as an institute of national importance. The university will impart education in different branches of agriculture.

The headquarters of the university will be Pusa in Bihar and it will have powers to establish campuses at such other places within its jurisdiction as it may deem fit provided that the university should integrate the existing campus and other associated facilities of the RAU and the effective date of take-over will be specified in the gazette notification.

The Rajendra Central Agricultural University Bill, which was introduced on December 23, 2015 in the Upper House, was passed with certain amendments.
Among key amendments include changing the name of university as 'Dr Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University' from 'Rajendra Agriculture University (RAU)'.

Total expenditure for the establishment of the central agriculture university would be Rs 295 crore during the 2015-16 and 2016-17 fiscals. The expenditure will be met by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
It may be noted that though a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to this effect was signed by the Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh and the then Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi in January, the matter had got stuck in political logjam.