After months of delay, the Gujarat government has finally begun work on establishing the proposed Climate Change University, first announced in the 2024–25 Budget.
Although the project falls under the Climate Change Department, the Gujarat Energy Development Agency (GEDA) has now taken charge of the groundwork. GEDA has issued a notification inviting applications to hire a registrar on an outsourced, temporary basis—an unusual move since registrars are typically permanent university posts.
The temporary registrar, with a monthly salary of ₹90,000, will be responsible for creating the university’s framework, obtaining approvals from the state and central governments, and coordinating with bodies like UGC and AICTE. Applications are open until December 11.
The push for a dedicated Climate Change University comes as Gujarat faces growing challenges from extreme weather, pollution and environmental stress. Despite budget allocation earlier this year, formal steps had not begun until now.
Once the university’s structure is finalised, the state government will present the proposal in the Assembly for approval. Only after legislative clearance can the university start offering technical and non-technical programmes in climate science and related areas.
For now, the outsourced registrar appointment has sparked debate, but the move marks the state’s first concrete progress toward setting up the specialised institution.