Will Raj Bhawan-state govt standoff thaw in Himachal?

Will the passage of a Bill by the Vidhan Sabha, giving powers to the state government to appoint the Vice-Chancellors of various universities help in resolving its faceoff with the Raj Bhawan. The Governor is yet to give assent to over 12 Bills.

A total of 14 Bills, including some that the Vidhan Sabha had passed more than two years ago, are still awaiting the assent of Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla. This has obviously not gone down well with the state government, which per force has started exercising its legislative powers to get the Bills passed. Shukla had assumed office on February 18, 2023.

The flashpoint in the standoff came when the Governor, in his capacity as Chancellor, decided to constitute a Select Committee for the appointment of Vice-Chancellors, especially of Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry at Nauni in Solan district.

The state government chose to re-introduce and pass the HP University of Agriculture, Horticulture, Forestry Amendment Bill, 2023, which was pending with the Governor for almost two years. The Assembly passed this Bill for the second time; it was earlier passed on September 21, 2023.

Sources say that there is unease in the state government over the fact that many important Bills passed by the Assembly since the Congress came to power are pending with the Governor or the President of India. In some cases, the Governor has sought clarifications and communication has taken place with the state government but the Bills have not been given assent.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has been quite vocal in expressing his anguish over the delay in the grant of assent to the Bills, especially the Himachal Pradesh Sukhashray Bill, 2023, that was passed on April 6, 2023. It is due to disagreement over the appointment of Vice-Chancellors that Himachal Pradesh University (HPU), Shimla, got a regular Vice-Chancellor after more than three years in June this year. Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry at Nauni in Solan district has been without a regular Vice-Chancellor since August 21, 2023, while the Vice-Chancellor’s post at CSK Himachal Pradesh Agriculture University, Palampur, has been vacant since May 8, 2025.

Pending Bills

• Loktantra Prahari Samman Repeal Bill, 2023
• Himachal Pradesh Sukhashray Bill, 2023
• HP University of Agriculture, Horticulture Amendment Bill, 2023
• The Indian Stamp Amendment Bill, 2023
• The Prohibition of Child Marriage Amendment Bill, 2024
• Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly Allowance, Pension of Members Amendment Bill, 2024
• Atal Medical and Research University HP Amendment Bill, 2024
• The Himachal Pradesh Police Amendment Bill, 2024
• Himachal Pradesh Ceiling of Landholding Amendment Bill, 2024
• HP Organised Crime Prevention and Control Bill, 2025
• Himachal Pradesh Drug and Control Substances Bill, 2025
• Salaries and Allowances of Ministers Amendment Bill, 2025
• Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly Allowances and Pension of Members Amendment Bill, 2025
• Himachal Pradesh Legislative Speaker and Deputy Speaker Salaries Amendment Bill, 2025