Sukhu vs Shukla feud stalls VC posts, merit and autonomy thrown to the winds
SHIMLA: Himachal’s universities have been turned into battlegrounds of ideology as the Sukhu government and Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla lock horns over Vice Chancellor appointments.
The clash is no longer just about constitutional niceties—it’s about who controls the future of higher education: Congress-minded academics or RSS-backed saffron loyalists.
The Sukhu government is pushing its agenda to install centrist, left-leaning and Congress-friendly scholars in key posts, aiming to keep a firm grip on YSPUHF Nauni, CSK Palampur, and HPU.
On the other hand, Governor Shukla, armed with the Chancellor’s powers, wants to tap central universities and parachute in saffron-leaning names, RSS sympathisers and those seen in his ideological camp.
Governors are more or less the 'agents' of the Centre and not paragon of virtues and neutrality and morality. They are appointed to push up the central agenda of the party in power rather than the institutions they constitutionally head.
Both sides claim to be defending constitutional propriety, but the real casualty is merit, innovation and academic autonomy.
On Tuesday, the Assembly struck down the Governor’s suggested amendments, which would have allowed him sole discretion in appointing VCs—including experts from central institutions.
Agriculture Minister Chandra Kumar, who tabled the amendments, admitted they matched the Centre’s model act, but the House—with the Opposition absent—flatly refused, asserting that the authority to run state universities lies with the elected government.
The Governor, however, is unrelenting. He cites the University Act, 1986 to justify his unilateral powers, arguing he is not bound by the cabinet’s advice.
The Sukhu government counters through Advocate General Anup Ratan that Raj Bhavan cannot bypass the government in running state institutions. The High Court’s stay on Raj Bhavan’s advertisements for VC posts has only deepened the deadlock.
But this clash is not limited to universities alone. Similar power struggles are playing out in other constitutional and statutory bodies—the Public Service Commission, Information Commissions, and almost every institution where appointments matter.
This unholy war risks ruining our institutions, as fair play, meritocracy and autonomy take a back seat. Instead, agenda-driven appointments will breed decadence, mediocrity and political bias, corroding the very foundations of bodies meant to serve people with neutrality.
Merit and capability—not loyalty or ideology—should be the real test.
The tug-of-war has left Himachal’s premier institutions leaderless. Nauni and Palampur universities remain without full-time VCs, while HPU too stares at an uncertain future. If neither side blinks, the stalemate could drag on for two years or more.
This is part of a wider national pattern. Governors and state governments are already sparring over university autonomy in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.
In Himachal, a small hill state with already stretched resources, the damage is graver—students, teachers and even aspirants for commissions are caught in the crossfire while political egos clash.
The bigger question remains: are our institutions meant to nurture merit, talent and innovation—or to be stuffed with ideological loyalists in saffron or Congress colours?
Previous Jai Ram Thakur government did that pushing the RSSbacked or saffron loyalists in universities, public service commission, media advisors or other advisors throwing merit and talent to the winds.
Governor wants to push up the agenda of the RSS in universities and other bodies and putting breaks to the Sukhu Government's ideological agenda.
It goes without saying that the Congress at centre or in states had installed the leftist or centrist academics at key positions across the country even if they did not deserve. Now the PM Modi is no different as the BJP and RSS is pushing up their own saffron idealogists in key positions.
In both cases, merit is a casualty and people of India are the losers. Our institutions are the losers and small wonder they are not growing as centre of learning excellence, they are centre of agenda and hot beds of politics
Until Sukhu and Shukla climb down from their high horses, Himachal’s higher education and constitutional bodies will remain hostage to politics rather than serving people.
#RajBhavanVsSukhu #VCAppointments #UniversityAutonomy #HimachalPolitics
