Himachal university amendment bill violates UGC norms, may affect grants: Teachers' body

Shimla: Over a week after the Himachal Pradesh State University (Amendment) Bill was passed in the state Assembly amid opposition, a teachers' association on Friday said the amendments were a violation of University Grants Commission (UGC) norms, which could affect their grants to the state universities.

The bill, which is yet to receive the governor's assent, seeks to conduct recruitments in all six government universities in Himachal Pradesh through the State Public Service Commission and the State Selection Commission. The service commission would recruit the teaching staff, whereas the selection commission would employ the non-teaching staff.

It also allows the state government's finance secretary to chair the finance committees of all six universities. The recommendations made by these committees must be accepted by the Executive Council (EC) in financial matters.

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UGC norms violation alleged

Himachal Pradesh University Teachers' Welfare Association (HPUTWA) president Nitin Vyas said that the change in the recruitment process and vesting financial powers with the finance secretary is a clear violation of UGC norms and this could reflect in UGC grants. As per the UGC norms, a scrutiny committee and then a selection panel headed by the vice chancellor, including subject experts, constitute the recruitment process, Vyas said.

"The UGC gives grants to universities for infrastructure, research and under other heads. If we do not follow the norms, the grants would stop. "The autonomy of the institution and no government interference are prerequisites," Vyas told PTI. The Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly passed the amendment bill by voice vote on September 2, amid opposition from BJP leaders during the recent monsoon session.

Once it becomes a law upon receiving the governor's signature, the recruitment process would change in Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) and five other universities, namely Sardar Patel University (Mandi), Atal Medical University (Nerchowk), Technical University (Hamirpur), Agriculture University (Palampur), and the University of Horticulture and Forestry (Nauni, Solan).

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HPU grant falls short of salary costs

Himachal Pradesh University receives an annual grant of about Rs 150 crore from the state government, while expenditure on salaries and pension alone amounts to Rs 252 crore. For remaining expenditures, the university has to depend on other resources, including generating self-generated revenue.

Demanding that the autonomy and academic freedom of Himachal Pradesh University be protected, HPUTWA leaders have been protesting on the HPU campus for more than a week. Earlier, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu maintained that recruitment through the commission would bring transparency and ensure selection based on merit, ultimately benefiting the state's youth.

The objective is to eliminate political recommendations and interference, thereby providing equal opportunities to deserving youth, he had said.