Himachal Assembly passes University Amendment Bill amid BJP, Teachers’ opposition

The Himachal Pradesh Assembly on Wednesday passed the Himachal Pradesh State Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2026 by voice vote amid strong opposition from BJP legislators and protests by university teachers against the proposed changes in the recruitment system.

The Himachal Pradesh Assembly on Wednesday passed the Himachal Pradesh State Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2026 by voice vote amid strong opposition from BJP legislators and protests by university teachers against the proposed changes in the recruitment system. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, while defending the legislation, said the amendment was aimed at ensuring transparency and merit-based recruitment in state universities and preventing political interference and recommendations in appointments.

"The government has changed the recruitment system in universities to ensure appointments are made transparently on merit, ending the scope for political interference and recommendations," Sukhu said. Under the amended system, universities will be able to appoint professors and associate professors, while recruitment for other posts will be undertaken through the Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (HPPSC) and the State Selection Commission, the Chief Minister said.

Sukhu said the move would bring transparency to recruitment for government jobs in universities and prevent irregularities such as those alleged to have occurred during the previous government. He also appealed to the BJP to support the legislation, accusing the opposition of indulging in the "politics of power and the chair".

The Chief Minister said the government had also introduced measures to ensure greater transparency in the financial functioning of universities. "We decided that the Finance Secretary would chair the Finance Committee because we want transparency in financial matters and recruitment; the government will not interfere in other operational areas," he said.

He added that the amendment provides for the Finance Secretary of the state government to chair the Finance Committee of universities to ensure greater transparency in financial expenditure. The legislation faced opposition from the CPI(M) and the Himachal Pradesh University Teachers' Welfare Association (HPUTWA), which argued that transferring teacher recruitment powers to the HPPSC would undermine university autonomy.

CPI(M) state secretary Sanjay Chauhan said the government should instead order an independent, time-bound judicial inquiry into the appointment of 186 teachers at Himachal Pradesh University between 2020 and 2023. Chauhan said alleged recruitment irregularities should not be used as a justification for weakening the academic autonomy of universities.

"If corruption, misconduct or violation of recruitment rules has taken place, the solution is an independent inquiry, prosecution and punishment of those responsible, not the transfer of recruitment powers from the university to another bureaucratic institution," he said. Citing the CAG Compliance Audit Report, Chauhan said HPU had recruited 186 teachers between 2020 and 2023, but records were not provided to establish that EWS certificates, educational qualifications and other supporting documents of the appointees had been verified with the issuing authorities.

The audit also pointed to alleged instances of non-compliance with UGC regulations, including the appointment of an Assistant Professor who did not possess the prescribed qualification by the last date for submission of applications. It also flagged the appointment of a Guest Faculty member who allegedly did not fulfil the prescribed eligibility criteria. Meanwhile, the HPUTWA staged a protest against the Bill, with senior professors and faculty members opposing the proposed recruitment mechanism.

HPUTWA president Prof Nitin Vyas said the legislation undermined the autonomy, institutional identity and academic freedom of universities. He said recruitment was a crucial component of university autonomy and that placing it under external control could adversely affect the future of higher education institutions.

HPUTWA secretary Dr Ankush Bhardwaj said weakening university autonomy and recruitment rights could have wider implications for the higher education system and called upon teachers and staff to oppose the move through democratic and constitutional means. The Bill was ultimately passed by voice vote despite opposition from BJP legislators and objections raised by university teachers and the CPI(M). (ANI)