Chapter II “TRIBHUVAN” SAHKARI UNIVERSITY

1. (1) With effect from such date as the Central Government may, by notification, appoint, the Institute of Rural Management Anand shall be established as a University to be known as the "Tribhuvan" Sahkari University, which shall be a body corporate, having perpetual succession and a common seal, with power, subject to the provisions of this Act, to acquire, hold property, both movable and immovable, and to contract and shall, by the said name sue or be sued.
2. (2) The headquarters of the University shall be at Anand in the State of Gujarat and the University may establish Schools or outlying campuses or affiliate institutes at such other places in India as it may deem fit: Provided that the University may, with the prior approval of the Central Government, also establish or maintain outlying campuses or affiliate institutes outside India.
3. (3) The Chancellor, the Vice-Chancellor, the members of the Governing Board, the Executive Council, the Academic and Research Council, the Capacity Building Council, the Assessment and Improvement Council, the Research and Development Council and other authorities shall constitute the University.

1. (1) On and from the date of commencement of this Act,---
   • (a) the Institute of Rural Management Anand registered as a society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 (21 of 1860) stands dissolved;
   • (b) any reference to the Institute of Rural Management Anand in any contract or other instrument shall be deemed as a reference to the University;
   • (c) all property or assets, movable and immovable, of or belonging to the Institute of Rural Management Anand shall vest in the University;
   • (d) all rights and liabilities of the Institute of Rural Management An and shall be transferred to, and be the rights and liabilities of the University;
   • (e) the identity and autonomy of the Institute of Rural Management An and School and its rights and privileges shall be continued: Provided that the Institute of Rural Management Anand School so declared under this Act shall have an Executive Board which shall be responsible for ensuring identity and autonomy of the School as granted under this section: Provided further that the Institute of Rural Management Anand School shall have a Director who shall be responsible to implement the decisions of the Executive Board besides other regular responsibilities of the University.
2. (2) The Institute of Rural Management Anand School shall be declared as the "Centre of Excellence" for Rural Management. Explanation.---For the purposes of this sub-section, the expression "Centre of Excellence" means the Institute of Rural Management Anand School to have greater autonomy within the overall institutional framework of the University to achieve excellence in its domain and also responsible for developing and spreading best practices in imparting education, training and conducting research within the University.
3. (3) Subject to the provisions of this Act, every person employed in the Institute of Rural Management Anand immediately before the commencement of this Act shall hold such employment in the University by the same tenure and on the same terms and conditions and with the same rights and privileges as to pension and gratuity as he would have held under the Institute of Rural Management Anand, if this Act had not been enacted and such terms and conditions, rights and privileges shall not be varied to his disadvantage: Provided that the University shall be at liberty to place the services of the persons permanently employed in the Institute of Rural Management Anand immediately before the commencement of this Act to any area, field, department and the like and at any place or location across India as deemed fit by the University to further its objects.
4. (4) The identity and autonomy of any ongoing academic programme and course of the Institute of Rural Management Anand School shall be preserved by the University and any modification, if needed, shall be with the concurrence of the Executive Board of such School.
5. (5) The Institute of Rural Management Anand School shall have administrative and academic autonomy as may be provided by the Statutes.
6. (6) The post-retirement benefits including medical benefits, if any, of every academic staff, teacher and every other employee in the Institute of Rural Management Anand who has superannuated before the commencement of this Act shall be borne by the University in a manner and form as deemed fit and not to the disadvantage of the superannuated employees.
7. (7) Any ongoing disciplinary proceedings against any permanent employees in the Institute of Rural Management Anand at the time of the commencement of this Act shall continue to be governed by the Institute of Rural Management Anand Society Rules, 2004.
8. (8) Any matter governing the conditions of service relating to the teacher, academic staff and every other employee for which no provision has been made in this Act, shall be determined by the provisions to be made by the Executive Council.

The objects of the University shall be---

1. (i) to provide qualified and trained manpower to meet the present and future needs of the cooperative sector by establishing its own Schools or through affiliating institutes;
2. (ii) to provide training, education and capacity building to the employees and board members of co-operative societies at all levels;
3. (iii) to act as an apex body to integrate, coordinate, and standardise the academic and research activities of affiliated co-operative institutes and training centres;
4. (iv) to standardise the course design and content, pedagogy, course delivery in co-operative education and training in accordance with the national and international best practices and the guiding principles specified in the First Schedule to this Act;
5. (v) to develop centres of excellence in co-operative education, training, research and consultancy;
6. (vi) to evolve as an institution of national and international repute for advanced studies in the field of co-operative education and training, and any other areas connected with co-operative societies;
7. (vii) to disseminate and advance knowledge by providing institutional and research facilities in the field of co-operative education and training, and to take appropriate measures for promoting innovations in teaching-learning process and inter-disciplinary studies and research;
8. (viii) to establish Schools and affiliate institutes for imparting the state-of-the-art education and training in the field of co-operation for all sectors;
9. (ix) to provide distance learning or mass e-learning platform and courses for serving the education and training needs of the co-operative societies;
10. (x) to undertake and promote research and development in all sectors relating to co-operatives;
11. (xi) to promote innovation, entrepreneurship and start-ups in the co-operative sector;
12. (xii) to establish and promote partnership and linkages with co-operative societies or unions or federations at all levels, industry, Institutions, Governments, International Co-operative Alliance and co-operative educational institutions in India and abroad for furtherance of its objects;
13. (xiii) to discharge any other objects which the University deems fit to undertake for the furtherance of its objects; and
14. (xiv) to discharge such other objects, not inconsistent with the provisions of this Act and the Statutes made thereunder, which the Central Government may, by notification, specify in this behalf.

1. (1) Subject to the provisions of this Act and the Statutes and Ordinances made thereunder, the University shall exercise and perform the following powers and functions, namely:---
   • (i) to plan, design, develop the required courses of study and conduct appropriate academic and training programmes in the field of co-operation;
   • (ii) to grant, subject to such conditions as the University may determine, diplomas or certificates to, and confer degrees or other academic distinctions on, persons, on the basis of examinations, evaluation or any other method of testing, and to withdraw any such certificates, diplomas, degrees or other academic distinctions for good and sufficient cause;
   • (iii) to provide lectures and instructions for persons not enrolled as regular students of the University and to grant certificates to them;
   • (iv) to establish and maintain such outlying campuses, entrepreneurial incubation centres for new co-operative ventures, targeted skill development centres or other units for research, instruction, and training as are, in the opinion of the University, necessary for the furtherance of its objects;
   • (v) to establish and maintain Schools and hostels subject to assessment of demand;
   • (vi) to provide nomenclature to the Institute of Rural Management Anand School by Statutes made under this Act;
   • (vii) to confer honorary degrees or other distinctions;
   • (viii) to institute Professorships, Associate Professorships, Assistant Professorships and other teaching or academic positions, required by the University and to appoint persons to such Professorships, Associate Professorships, Assistant Professorships or other teaching or academic positions;
   • (ix) to appoint persons working in any University or academic institution, including those located outside the country, as teachers of the University;
   • (x) to create administrative, ministerial and other posts and to make appointments thereto subject to availability of financial resources;
   • (xi) to co-operate or collaborate or associate with any other University or authority or institution of higher learning, including those located outside the country, in such manner and for such purposes as the University, may determine;
   • (xii) to provide facilities through the distance education system;
   • (xiii) to institute and award fellowships, scholarships, studentships, medals and prizes for raising academic standards and research;
   • (xiv) to organise and undertake extramural studies, training and extension services;
   • (xv) to make provision for research and advisory services and for that purpose, to enter into such arrangements with other institutions, co-operative societies, industrial or other organisations, as the University may deem necessary;
   • (xvi) to organise and conduct refresher courses, workshops, seminars, conferences, training of trainers, and other programmes for teachers, evaluators, other academic staff and students;
   • (xvii) to appoint on contract or otherwise visiting Professors, Emeritus Professors, Consultants and such other persons who may contribute to the advancement of the objects of the University; (xviii) to determine standards of admission to the University, which may include examination, evaluation or any other method of testing;
   • (xix) to demand and receive payment of fees and other charges;
   • (xx) to demand and receive payment for undertaking projects and consultancy services;
   • (xxi) to lay down conditions of service of all categories of employees, including their code of conduct;
   • (xxii) to supervise, control, regulate and enforce discipline among the students and the employees, and to take such disciplinary measures in this regard as may be deemed fit by the University to be necessary; (xxiii) to make arrangements for promoting the health and general welfare of the employees and students;
   • (xxiv) to receive benefactions, donations and gifts and to acquire, hold and manage movable or immovable, including trust and endowment properties, for the purposes of the University;
   • (xxv) to dispose of any immovable property, with the previous approval of the Central Government;
   • (xxvi) to borrow, with the previous approval of the Central Government, on the security of the property of the University, money for the purposes of the University; (xxvii) to conduct innovative experiments and promote new methods and technologies in the fields of co-operative management and other related fields; (xxviii) to purchase or to take on lease any land or building or works which may be necessary or convenient for the purposes of the University, on such terms and conditions as it may deem fit and proper and to construct, alter and maintain any such building or work;
   • (xxix) to start any new degree, allied course or research programme or diploma or certification or training programme and discontinue any courses or research programme or training programme without prejudice to the interest of the students;
   • (xxx) to invest the funds of the University in or upon such securities and transpose any investment from time to time in such manner as it may deem fit in the interest of the University and as provided by the Statutes;
   • (xxxi) to act as an advisory body to the Government of India and other National Institutions, State Governments and National Co-operative Societies on all matters related to co-operative societies; (xxxii) to grant affiliation to Institutes or to a particular course or programme being conducted by any Institute in or outside India; (xxxiii) to develop and certify teachers or practitioners as co-operative trainers and resource persons; (xxxiv) to provide for the preparation of instructional and training materials, including films, audio-visual materials, other software and the like;
   • (xxxv) to recognise persons for imparting instructions in any Institute admitted or affiliated to the privileges of the University; and (xxxvi) to do all such other acts and things as may be necessary, incidental or conducive to the attainment of all or any of its objects.
2. (2) The University shall in the exercise of its powers have jurisdiction over the outlying campuses.
3. (3) In exercising its powers referred to in sub-section (1), it shall be the endeavour of the University to maintain an all-India character and high standards of teaching, training and research, and the University may, among other measures which may be necessary for the said purpose, take, in particular, the following measures, namely:---
   • (i) admissions of students and recruitment of teachers shall be made on all-India basis through appropriate procedures approved by the Executive Council;
   • (ii) conduct self-financing, demand based, customised courses for the co-operatives;
   • (iii) foreign students to be admitted by the University to various courses and programmes, as per the policy and schemes of the Government of India and the procedure approved by the Executive Council;
   • (iv) inter-University mobility of teachers with portable pension scheme benefits, if any, and protection of seniority shall be encouraged. Explanation.---For the purposes of this clause, the expression "portable pension scheme" means a scheme to continue or carry forward the pension scheme already subscribed by the incoming teacher;
   • (v) semester system, continuous evaluation and choice-based credit system may be introduced and the University may enter into agreement with other Universities and academic institutions for credit transfer and joint degree programmes. Explanation.---For the purposes of this clause, the expression "choice-based credit system" means a criterion based grading system to assess student's achievement based on the learning goals for each programme, with continuous and comprehensive evaluation instead of high stake examinations;
   • (vi) innovative courses and programmes of studies shall be introduced with a provision for periodic review and restructuring;
   • (vii) active participation of students shall be ensured in all academic activities of the University, including evaluation of teachers;
   • (viii) accreditation may be obtained from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council or any other accrediting agency of repute as may be determined by the University; and
   • (ix) e-governance shall be introduced in every possible sphere of activity with an effective management information system.

The University shall be open to persons of any sex and of whatever caste, creed, race or class, and it shall not be lawful for the University to adopt or impose on any person, any test whatsoever of religious belief or profession in order to entitle such person to be appointed as a teacher of the University or to hold any other office therein or to be admitted as a student in the University or to graduate there at or to enjoy or exercise any privilege thereof: Provided that the University shall follow the policy of the Central Government regarding reservations in admissions and employment.

1. (1) The Central Government may, from time to time, appoint one or more persons to review or inspect the work and progress of the University and outlying campuses including its buildings, libraries, laboratories and equipments, and other infrastructure maintained by it and also of the examinations, teaching and other work conducted or done by the University, and to submit a report thereon and upon receipt of that report, the Central Government may, take such action and issue such directions, as it considers necessary, in respect of any of the matters dealt with in the report and the University shall abide by such action and be bound to comply with such directions.
2. (2) Without prejudice to the foregoing provisions of this section, the Central Government may, by an order in writing, annul any proceeding of the University which is not in conformity with the provisions of this Act or the Statutes or the Ordinances made thereunder.
3. (3) Without prejudice to the provisions of this Act and the Statutes made thereunder, the University, in discharge of its general powers and functions under this Act, shall be bound by such directions as the Central Government may give in writing to it from time to time.
4. (4) The Central Government shall have such other powers, in respect of the affairs of the University, as may be provided by the Statutes.

1. (1) The Central Government may, by notification, appoint a person of eminence as the Chancellor of the University.
2. (2) The Chancellor shall hold office for a term of five years or until he attains the age of seventy years, whichever is earlier: Provided that notwithstanding the expiry of his term of office, the Chancellor shall continue to hold office until his successor enters upon his office.
3. (3) The terms and other conditions of service of Chancellor shall be such as may be provided by the Statutes.
4. (4) The Chancellor shall, by virtue of his office, be the Head of the University and shall, if present, preside at the Convocations of the University held for conferring degrees and other ceremonial functions and also the meetings of the Governing Board.
5. (5) The Chancellor shall exercise such other powers and perform such other duties as may be assigned to him under this Act and the Statutes made thereunder.