Shimla, April 8: Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) has announced a new policy to discontinue academic courses that fail to meet a 50 per cent enrollment threshold or have fewer than 15 students. The university administration stated that the decision, effective from the next academic session, is intended to ensure the optimal utilization of faculty, infrastructure, and financial resources.
According to the official notification, the university aims to uphold academic standards and promote more effective classroom interactions by phasing out under-attended programs. University officials maintained that the restructuring will allow the institution to focus its resources more efficiently. However, the move has triggered immediate backlash from the student community, with various organizations asserting that the decision undermines the interests of the learners.
“The decision aims to uphold academic standards, promote effective classroom interaction as well as to allow efficient use of its faculty and infrastructure,” the university notification stated.
Student leaders have countered this reasoning, claiming that the university is neglecting established departments in favor of five new centers inaugurated last year. Akshay Thakur, campus president of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), declared that the administration is imposing fee hikes while failing to provide basic facilities or permanent buildings for existing departments. He affirmed that the Vice Chancellor must prioritize the entire university rather than focusing solely on new establishments.
Similarly, Yogi Singhania, campus president of the Student Federation of India (SFI), noted that despite previous promises to improve academic standards, no substantial steps have been taken to provide essential equipment. He stated that a recent CAG report identified a 70-80 per cent shortage of basic instruments in university laboratories. Singhania asserted that admissions will continue to decline unless the university first addresses these infrastructural deficiencies instead of closing courses.
