HPU without permanent VC for three years

It has been over three years since Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) has been without a permanent Vice Chancellor, following the voluntary retirement of the former VC, Prof Sikandar Kumar, in 2022 to contest in the Rajya Sabha elections. Since then, the position has remained vacant, affecting the university’s operations.

Although Satya Prakash Bansal, the Vice Chancellor of the Central University of Himachal Pradesh (CUHP), has been given the additional charge of the post of HPU VC, students have voiced their frustration with the state government for not appointing a permanent VC. They argue that the absence of a permanent VC is disrupting both academic and administrative functions, and students are bearing the consequences, with their education being adversely impacted.

ABVP’s campus vice president, Insh Datwalia, said the university is facing numerous issues due to the absence of a permanent VC for such a long time. He said the government has failed to appoint a VC. “Due to the absence of a permanent VC, the university’s financial management has collapsed. As a result, the number of buses operated by the university has been reduced from six to three, and the administration is unable to provide new buses. This has led to significant inconvenience for students, who now have to travel in overcrowded buses.”

Recently, the Raj Bhavan also expressed concerns over the delay in appointing a permanent VC and issued a notice to the search committee, which was constituted to appoint the VC. The notice requested an explanation for not submitting the names of shortlisted candidates to the Governor, despite the process being initiated several months ago.

On October 22, 2024, the search committee conducted interviews for the VC position in Chandigarh, with 18 candidates — four of whom participated online — appearing for the interview. The panel, which included Yogesh Singh, VC of Delhi University; Prof Surendra Kumar Dubey, former VC of Gorakhpur University; and Chandra Prakash Verma, Secretary to the Governor; finalised the list of candidates. However, the committee has not yet submitted the list to the Raj Bhavan for approval, leaving the position of permanent VC still unfilled.

The delay in appointing a full-time VC has raised concerns about the effectiveness of the selection process and its potential impact on the university's operations. The vacancy of a permanent VC is seen as a major administrative issue, impacting both the academic and administrative functioning of the institution.