Tripura Assembly Passes Dhanvantari Skill University Bill Amid Opposition Walkout

The Tripura Legislative Assembly on Monday passed a Bill to establish a new private university in the state, pushing through the legislation despite a joint walkout by the Opposition CPI(M) and Congress, who raised sharp concerns about the credibility and experience of the organisation behind the proposal.

The Dhanvantari Skill University, Tripura Bill was adopted amid heated exchanges between the Treasury Benches and Opposition members on the floor of the House.

Also Read: BJP fields RSS loyalist in Tripura bypoll; names late MLA’s son for Nagaland seat

The New Delhi-based NVK Skill Foundation Trust has proposed to set up a knowledge-driven, technologically-enabled Dhanvantari Skill University in Agartala.

According to the Bill's statement of objects and reasons, the university is intended to offer programmes across a wide range of disciplines — including Science, Technology, Management, Social Sciences, Law, Nursing, Paramedical Sciences, Pharmacy, Hospitality and Tourism, Tribal Affairs, Sports, Skill Development, Fine Arts, Design, and Performing Arts.

Leader of the Opposition Jitendra Chaudhury — who also serves as CPI(M)'s Tripura state secretary — and Congress MLA and former minister Sudip Roy Barman led the charge against the Bill.

Both leaders argued that the NVK Skill Foundation Trust lacks the experience, capability, and institutional strength required to run a higher educational institution of this scale.

Chaudhury pointed to what he described as several loopholes in the Bill and warned that poorly regulated private universities could seriously harm students' futures in the state. He urged the government to exercise far greater caution before granting permission to private entities to set up universities.

Roy Barman went further, stating that the organisation had not adhered to the rules and guidelines of the University Grants Commission (UGC) — a charge that the government flatly rejected.

Higher Education Minister Kishor Barman dismissed the Opposition's objections, asserting that the state government had granted approval only after verifying full compliance with all UGC guidelines and norms.

Following the heated back-and-forth, CPI(M) and Congress MLAs staged a walkout from the House in protest before the Bill was put to a vote and passed.

The passage of the Bill takes Tripura's total count of private universities to six. The state government noted in the Bill that Tripura has made significant strides in education since attaining statehood in 1972, with substantial expansion across primary, secondary, and higher secondary levels over the past two decades.

The government argued that establishing more private universities is necessary to keep pace with growing demand for higher education in the state.