The government of Himachal Pradesh has decided to merge 10 government degree colleges with nearby institutions due to poor student enrolment, with the aim of ensuring better use of resources and improving faculty availability.
The decision was taken by the state’s Higher Education Department after it observed that several colleges were operating with very few students, resulting in inefficient use of infrastructure and teaching staff.
Students currently studying in the colleges selected for merger will be shifted to nearby institutions so their academic activities continue without any interruption. After the consolidation, teachers and other employees from these colleges will be marked as surplus and transferred to institutions facing a shortage of faculty members.
Among the colleges identified for merger are three in Shimla district—Tikkar with six students, Kupvi with 53 students and Nankhari with 66 students. In Mandi district, Sandhol has 38 students while Kotli has 70 students. In Kangra district, Haripur Guler has 32 students and Multhan has 59 students.
Other institutions included in the list are Bhalei in Chamba district with 19 students, Jaynagar in Solan district with 68 students, and Kukumseri in Lahaul-Spiti district with 40 students.
Initially, the state government had proposed merging colleges with fewer than 100 students. However, the plan faced opposition in several regions. After protests, the government revised the criteria and reduced the limit to 75 students, which resulted in 11 colleges being dropped from the merger proposal.
Education Minister Rohit Thakur said that operating colleges with very low enrolment leads to inefficient use of available resources. He added that the rationalisation of institutions would help strengthen academic facilities and ensure better distribution of teachers across colleges in the state.
Nurturing Creativity – Keekli Charitable Trust, Shimla
