Daijiworld Media Network - Amethi

Amethi, Aug 22: The Centre has approved a proposal by the Rajiv Gandhi National Aviation University (RGNAU) at Fursatganj in Uttar Pradesh's Amethi district to expand its aerospace activities over an additional 500 acres, a senior university official said.

RGNAU Vice-Chancellor B N Singh said the Centre has approved the university's proposal and directed the Uttar Pradesh government to make 500 acres of land available for the expansion.

“The Centre has approved our proposal and sent it to the Uttar Pradesh government for making 500 acres of land available to us,” Singh told reporters on Friday.

He said a centre of excellence would be developed on the additional land once it is handed over by the state government. A survey to identify and make the land available is currently underway.

Singh said he had recently met Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who assured him that the required land would be made available soon.

The proposed expansion is expected to include state-of-the-art laboratories, research centres and other modern infrastructure aimed at strengthening higher education, research and innovation in aviation, aerospace and allied fields.

The university has also prepared an ambitious development plan to increase its student strength to around 17,000 by 2033, Singh said.

At present, RGNAU has 595 students enrolled.

The vice-chancellor said the university is also working towards granting affiliation to educational institutions across the country, which would help expand its academic reach in aviation and aerospace-related disciplines.

Established in 2013 under the Ministry of Civil Aviation, RGNAU is an autonomous Central university and is the country's only university dedicated specifically to aviation and aerospace education.

The proposed expansion is expected to strengthen the university's role in developing skilled manpower, research capabilities and innovation in India's growing aviation and aerospace sectors.