Keep Himachal Pradesh University’s Autonomy Intact, Say Protesting Teachers
10 September 2026 | The Tribune
Members of the Himachal Pradesh University Teachers Welfare Association stage a protest on the campus in Shimla on Wednesday.
The Himachal Pradesh University Teachers Welfare Association staged a protest against the Himachal Pradesh Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2026, in Shimla on Wednesday and demanded the autonomy, academic freedom and institutional dignity of the institution to be kept intact. The protesting teachers said that any attempt to weaken the autonomy of the university would not be tolerated. Prof Nitin Vyas, president of the teachers association, said that the government's interference in the university's autonomy was not only an attack on the rights of the current teaching community but also an insult to the sacrifices of all those pioneers who had made this institution prestigious.
"Undermining autonomy is not just usurpation of the administrative power; it is distrust of the collective intellectual capacity and professional dignity of the faculty. A university is not a government office where decisions are made from files. It is a centre of knowledge, research and democratic dialogue. Bypassing statutory bodies like the Academic Council and the Executive Council and imposing external control are tantamount to an attack on the very soul of the university," he added.