No VC in 3 Himachal universities, including HPU; ex-Speaker Vipin Singh Parmar raises concerns

Ravinder Sood

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Palampur, February 5

The post of Vice-Chancellor in three universities — in Shimla, Mandi and Palampur — have been lying vacant for a long time. The failure to appoint Vice-Chancellors by the state government has adversely affected research, teaching and other education activities in these universities.

Information gathered by The Tribune revealed that the state government has not appointed a Vice-Chancellor for HP University (HPU), Shimla, for the past one year. The selection process for the new VC has already started. However, the state government is yet to finalise a new VC. At present, the Governor of Himachal Pradesh, who is also the Chancellor of HPU, has given the charge of HPU to the VC of Central University, Dharamshala.

Similarly, the post of Vice-Chancellor in Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University, Mandi, has been lying vacant for the past nine months. The charge of VC has been assigned to the Pro Vice-Chancellor. Former CM Jai Ram Thakur has, on multiple occasions, asked Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu to appoint a VC for the university, but the post remains vacant.

Himachal Pradesh Agriculture University, Palampur, faces a similar situation as the government is yet to appoint a Vice-Chancellor here as well. Former VC HK Chaudhary retired in August 2023. Since then, the post of VC has been lying vacant. A committee to select the new VC has not yet been formed by the government. At present, DK Vatsa, the senior-most professor of the varsity, is the acting Vice-Chancellor.

While speaking to mediapersons here on Monday, former Speaker of the state Assembly and senior BJP leader Vipin Singh Parmar said universities in the state were headless for the past one year.

“This has never happened in the history of Himachal, the posts of Vice-Chancellors have never been vacant for so long. The post of Chairman of the Private University Regulatory Commission is also vacant since August 2023,” he said.

Strongly criticising the state government for being “apathetic” on the issue, he said higher education was on the verge of getting hit completely due to such vacancies.

“I urge the government to appoint Vice-Chancellors to the three universities without sleeping any further,” he said.