IITRAM bill passed in Gujarat amid Congress opposition

The state assembly, on Monday, passed the Institute of Infrastructure, Technology, Research and Management (IITRAM) Bill-2012. The bill, the first to be passed by the assembly this year, was tabled by the state government and passed by a majority. The opposition Congress opposed the bill on the ground that it eliminated the role of the Governor who was the Chancellor of the state’s universities.

The bill aims to set up a university (to be known as Institute of Infrastructure, Technology, Research and Management) on the land of a closed mill in Maninagar area of Ahmedabad city. The bill was tabled by state education minister Ramanlal Vora.

Participating in the discussion on the bill, leader of opposition Shaktisinh Gohil criticized its provisions which, he said, eliminated the role of the Governor despite the fact that he is the Chancellor of all the universities of the state. Gohil further said that the bill had not been drafted as per UGC norms for setting up a university. Incidentally, many new universities set up by the state government through legislation for the purpose don’t have the Governor as their Chancellor.