Row Over Renaming of Haroli Degree College After Deputy CM’s Wife Sparks Criticism
UNA/SHIMLA: A controversy has erupted in Himachal Pradesh after the state government reportedly renamed the Government Degree College in Haroli after Simi Agnihotri, the late wife of Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri.
The move has drawn sharp criticism from academicians and members of civil society, who say the decision sets a questionable precedent of naming public institutions after family members of serving politicians.
Simi Agnihotri, who passed away last year, was a professor in the Department of Public Administration at Himachal Pradesh University in Shimla. However, critics argue that there is no widely known academic or institutional contribution linked to her name that would justify naming a government college after her.
Senior academics point out that educational institutions are traditionally named after national leaders, eminent personalities, or distinguished citizens who have made significant contributions to society, education, or nation-building. Naming a public college after the spouse of a sitting Deputy Chief Minister, they say, risks politicising academic institutions and diluting established norms.
Some members of academia have gone a step further, warning that if such decisions continue unchecked, ministers may start treating higher educational institutions as their “private fiefdoms,” naming them after family members and political associates rather than individuals who have made lasting contributions to the state or the nation.
The decision has also revived a larger debate about recognition of national heroes from Himachal Pradesh. Critics note that even Param Vir Chakra awardees from the state have yet to receive adequate institutional recognition.
Among them are war heroes such as Major Somnath Sharma, the country’s first recipient of the Param Vir Chakra, and Captain Vikram Batra, whose bravery during the Kargil War made him a national icon.
Members of civil society say that if institutions are to be renamed, priority should be given to individuals whose contributions to the nation, the armed forces, or the state have left a lasting legacy.
Questions are also being raised about the process behind the decision. Sources say it remains unclear whether the renaming proposal was formally approved by the state cabinet or processed through the standard government procedure.
The move has triggered sharp reactions across academic circles and on social media, with many calling it an example of political patronage and “family glorification” in public institutions.
So far, neither the Chief Minister nor Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri has issued any official response to the controversy.
