Anand: Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah will lay the foundation stone and perform the Bhoomi Poojan of Tribhuvan Sahkari University in Anand on Saturday, July 5, 2025. This comes as a major milestone in India’s co-operative movement and the future of co-operative education in the country.

The event follows the passage of the Tribhuvan Sahkari University Act, 2025, by both Houses of Parliament in March and its approval by the President of India. The Act has led to the transition of the Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA) into one of the schools under Tribhuvan Sahkari University, the first university in India exclusively dedicated to co-operative education, training, and research.

Named in honour of Padma Bhushan Tribhuvandas Kishibhai Patel, a pioneer of India’s co-operative movement who founded the dairy giant Amul, the university seeks to strengthen the sector, as stated by Union Minister Amit Shah during the debate on the bill in March.

The university will address the long-standing need for capacity building among employees and board members in the cooperative sector across India. The bill emphasizes that the current education and training framework in the sector is fragmented and insufficient to meet growing demands. It proposes a standardized, integrated system for education, training, and research to ensure a steady supply of qualified professionals for managerial, supervisory, administrative, technical, and operational roles in cooperatives.

Situated in Anand, the cradle of India’s co-operative renaissance, the university is envisioned as an institution of national importance, aiming to elevate co-operative education to global standards. IRMA will continue as a Centre of Excellence in Rural Management under the university, retaining its identity and autonomy while expanding its mandate.

The university will ensure the supply of trained human resources for the successful implementation of new initiatives. It will bring together cooperative training institutes/centers operating under 284 different authorities across India. It will enhance the annual capacity of existing training institutes. It will lead to an increase in the number of long-term courses related to cooperatives across India. It will also ensure a comprehensive and integrated institutional system for education and training in the cooperative sector.

The university will also serve as an apex body for standardising co-operative education in India and promote international collaborations, including the admission of foreign students. Over the past 45 years, IRMA has played a vital role in grooming rural development leaders. Now, as a full-fledged university, it invites scholars, youth, and practitioners to join its mission of inclusive growth and nation-building through co-operation. DeshGujarat