India to get its first aviation university

India is all set to welcome its first aviation university at Fursatganj in Uttar Pradesh, in the district of Rae Bareli to be inaugurated on August 18 to encourage the growth in the country’s aviation sector and empower and train the human resources involved in the same.

The central university was planned as an autonomous body under the administrative control of the Ministry of Civil Aviation with an aim to facilitate and promote aviation studies, teaching, training and research.

The inaugural event is to be attended by Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju, Jayant Sinha, Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Yogi Adityanath, Chief Minister, Uttar Pradesh and Congress Vice-President and Uttar Pradesh MP, Rahul Gandhi among notable others.

India’s first ever aviation university will help develop the future of Indian aviation sector

The university which is planning the launch of its flagship programme in 2018 at its campus in Fursatganj has appointed retired Air Vice Marshal, Nalin Tandon as the Vice Chancellor. Officials of the Rajiv Gandhi National Aviation University (RGNAU) said that they are also planning to introduce a number of management development programmes which have been planned and is to be conducted in subsequent years.

The Cabinet had given its approval to the proposal for setting up of the country’s first aviation university in 2013. The Rajiv Gandhi National Aviation University Bill, 2013 had received the assent of the President of India and published in the Gazette of India on September 19, 2013.

About 26.35 acres of land available with the Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi, an autonomous flying training institute under the central government, was identified for setting up of the RGNAU in its first phase  that is 2013-14 to 2018- 19.

With an aim to promote aviation teaching and training, RGNAU has signed an MoU with GMR Aviation Academy for Joint PG Diploma in Aviation / Airport Operations which is an employability oriented programme focused at providing trained manpower to the industry, as reported by officials of RGNAU.

The university has also set plans to launch MBA programme in aviation management sometime in the near future, stated officials adding that RGNAU shall also be affiliating colleges / institutes for B.Sc. (Hons.) in aircraft maintenance.