Industry players to have key role in National Railway University

THE INDIAN Railways will have minimum say in the running of India’s first National Railway University being set up in Gujarat. Industry players from the transport sector will have a key stake in the institution’s ownership and functioning as per the new plan finalised for the institute.

The varsity would go beyond the scope of a conventional university as per the plan, which envisages 1.2 lakh enrollments over 10 years at on and off-campus centres across India. It would establish something akin to a franchisee model and even earn money through affiliated centres. Private players across India would set up the centres to impart training courses that the university will design and certify.

The ownership pattern and management of the university, where the first undergraduate course would commence in April 2018, has been designed to ensure minimum liability for the railways. A society or trust, in which the railways will be the single-largest stakeholder but not necessarily the majority stakeholder, will be formed to own and float the university. Private companies will pick up the remaining — ideally over 50 per cent — stake by contributing to university and get the society’s management board seats.

The railways has been working overtime after two-year inaction as the Prime Minister’s Office has sent out signals that nothing much had happened on the university project. The university is a brainchild of PM Narendra Modi, who enquires about it in almost every meeting with the railway brass.

Former Western Railway Chief Security Officer Anand Vijay Jha, who has been appointed as Officer on Special Duty to cut through the bureaucracy and implement the project, said that the society will appoint a vice-chancellor by December. He added that the university will start functioning within three months after that.

Around Rs 861 crore has been sanctioned for the university, where around 20,000 undergraduates, postgraduate, PHD and diploma students would be taught at a time.

The National Academy of Indian Railways in Vadodara will initially house the university till a new campus is built. All railway training courses, institutes and schools will ultimately be affiliated to the university.

The railways wants the university to start with general courses “which have ready recognition and acceptability” even in non-transport sectors.

Getting into the university will not guarantee a job with the Railways. But some certification courses may be made a prerequisite in selection criteria for various jobs.