The Rajiv Gandhi University Act, 2006
Administered Ministry: Ministry of Education / Department of Higher Education
Act details
| Short title | The Rajiv Gandhi University Act, 2006 |
|---|---|
| Long title | An Act to establish and incorporate a teaching and affiliating University in the State of Arunachal Pradesh and to provide for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. |
| Act number | 8 of 2007 |
| Act year | 2007 |
| Enactment date | 10 Jan 2007 |
| Ministry | Ministry of Education / Department of Higher Education |
| Department | Department of Higher Education |
| Jurisdiction | Central (Parliament of India) |
| Sections | 49 |
| Schedules | 1 |
| Status | Not repealed |
| Last checked on India Code | 29 Oct 2026 |
| Source | India Code, Government of India |
Legislative history
Legislative History:
The Rajiv Gandhi University Act, 2006
● Act Title - The Rajiv Gandhi University Act, 2006
● Act Number / Year - 8 of 2007
● Act ID (India Code) - 200708
● Assent Date - January 10, 2007
● Enforcement Date - April 1, 2007
● Nodal Ministry - Ministry of Education
Precedent & Historical Rationale
● Elevation of Arunachal University from a State University to a Central University - Arunachal University was established at Rono Hills, Doimukh (Itanagar) in 1984 under the Arunachal University Act, 1984 (Arunachal Pradesh Act No. 1 of 1984) to serve as the premier institution of higher learning in the state. In 2005, the state government renamed it Rajiv Gandhi University. However, operating as a state university severely constrained its financial resources, specialized faculty recruitment, and research infrastructure, necessitating central intervention to upgrade it into a fully funded Central University to meet the higher educational aspirations of the tribal-dominated border state.
● Statutory Incorporation as a Teaching and Affiliating Central University - Formulated to establish and incorporate a teaching and affiliating Central University in Arunachal Pradesh, dissolve the erstwhile state university, and vest all its properties, assets, rights, and liabilities into the newly incorporated central statutory body. The Act mandated the university to provide instructional and research facilities in emerging disciplines (including tribal culture, folklore, and regional development), conferred autonomous degree-granting powers across the state of Arunachal Pradesh, and designated the President of India as the Visitor.
Parliamentary Trajectory & Enactment
● Formulation & Introduction - Drafted by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (now Ministry of Education) as part of the national initiative to establish Central Universities in northeastern border states lacking central higher educational infrastructure; introduced as The Rajiv Gandhi University Bill, 2006 in the Rajya Sabha on August 18, 2006.
● Parliamentary Passage - Debated and passed by the Rajya Sabha on December 14, 2006, and considered, debated, and passed by the Lok Sabha on December 19, 2006, during the Winter Session.
● President's Assent - Received the assent of the President of India (Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam) on January 10, 2007, and was published in the Gazette of India on January 11, 2007.
● Enforcement - Enforced on April 1, 2007
Sources - Parliamentary Debates (Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha), The Gazette of India, India Code, and Ministry of Education.