New Delhi, Mar 26 (UNI) The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed a bill seeking to upgrade the Institute of Rural Management Anand into India's first co-operative university - the Tribhuvan Sahkari University - and declare it as an institution of national importance.
The university will impart technical and management education and training in the co-operative sector, promote cooperative research and development and attain standards of global excellence in order to realise the vision of Sahakar Se Samriddhi.
It will also strengthen the co-operative movement in the country through a network of institutions and to declare the Institute as one of the Schools of the University, according to the statement of the bill.
Replying to the debate on the Bill, Union Cooperative Minister Amit Shah said, "This legislation will empower the rural economy and help in creating self-employment and developing small entrepreneurs".
Speaking over the Ministry's initiatives, Amit Shah said, "This is not just a slogan; the Ministry of Cooperation worked day and night for three and a half years to bring it to reality"
"In the coming days, in a few months, a very big cooperative Sahakar taxi like Ola-Uber is going to be launched on a cooperative basis and its profit will not go into the hands of any rich person, it will go to the driver" he informed.

Regarding the Bill, Shah said innovation and research and development will get a push in the cooperative sector. Besides, the country will have a cooperative leadership equipped with modern education.
The Minister said the Tribhuvan Sahkari University has been named after Tribhuvan Bhai Patel who laid the foundation of Amul in Gujarat.
"In the 1940s, this gave farmers control over milk production, pricing, and distribution. This helped start India’s dairy revolution, empowering rural communities and creating opportunities for Indians" he said.
Shah said, "We have made National Cooperative Exports Limited a national cooperative organisation. Through this, the work of exporting the produce of the country's farmers to foreign countries is going on ... so far, we have sold 12 lakh tonnes of produce in markets across the world and have sent its profits directly to the farmers".
Earlier, initiating the discussion, Geniben Nagaji Thakor of Congress said it was a matter of pride that the first cooperative university will be established in Gujarat.
Mitesh Patel of BJP said, cooperation is an important way for empowerment of small farmers. He said, the success story of Anand Milk Union Limited (AMUL) is the example of the visionary leadership of Tribhuvan Das Patel. The MP from Anand said Tribhuvan Sahkari University will strengthen the cooperative movement in the country. UNI JA XC SSP