New Delhi, Sep 6 (IANS): The Lok Sabha Friday passed the Rajiv Gandhi National Aviation University Bill, 2013, which aims to set up the institution as an autonomous body to train a skilled workforce for the sector's growth.

The institution will be set up in Rae Bareli district of Uttar Pradesh, the parliamentary constituency of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi.

Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh moved the bill which was passed after a short discussion.

The university will cost around Rs.200 crore.

According to the bill, skilled and competent workforce is essential to create a safe and efficient aviation industry.

The university aims to facilitate and promote aviation studies, teaching, training and research with focus on emerging areas of studies such as aviation management, aviation regulation and policy.

It will also focus on aviation history, aviation science and engineering, aviation law, aviation safety and security, aviation medicine, search and rescue, transportation of dangerous goods, environmental studies and other related fields, and also to achieve excellence in these and connected fields in emerging areas and such areas as may emerge in future.

The university will also be a knowledge partner to safety and security regulators by providing required academic inputs to help them execute their enforcement responsibility better.