States » NorthPosted at: Oct 8 2026 11:42PM


Parmar varsity crisis: VC issues stinging orders to registrar amid ₹150 cr deficit and campus unrest

Arvind Kashyap
Solan, Oct 8 (UNI) In an extraordinary escalation of high-level administrative discord, Dr. Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Vice-Chancellor’s office on Thursday issued an unsparing, multi-count office order against the Registrar Siddhartha Acharya, over alleged dereliction of statutory duties, administrative paralysis and insubordination during the recent campus unrest.

The formal order lifts the veil on deep institutional paralysis at Himachal Pradesh’s premier horticulture and forestry varsity.
The institution is simultaneously grappling with a staggering financial deficit of approximately ₹150 crore, student agitations, faculty friction, and high-stakes preparations for upcoming visits by constitutional dignitaries, including the Chief Justice of India and the Governor of Himachal.
The most explosive charge detailed in the directive traces back to a volatile confrontation on October 5 in the Vice-Chancellor's office, where faculty protests created a "serious apprehension of possible physical confrontation with the Vice Chancellor."
According to the order, when the Registrar was telephonically instructed to intervene, defuse the situation, and liaise with law enforcement, he allegedly failed to act.
The document formally puts on record that the Registrar not only refused to respond effectively to administrative instructions but allegedly used "inappropriate and disrespectful language" in his direct communication with the head of the institution.
The Vice-Chancellor emphasized that a statutory officer tasked with general administration cannot abdicate responsibility, particularly where the safety of the University including Head of the Institution, faculty, employees, students or other members of the University community is involved.
Adding severe political and constitutional weight to the friction, the order revealed that a key inquiry ordered by Lok Bhavan has been stalled inside the Registrar's office for about four months.
The matter concerns an official report regarding foreign tours undertaken by university employees under 2015 Himachal Pradesh Government guidelines sought directly under the instructions of the Governor, who serves as the university's Chancellor.
Terming the prolonged pendency an intolerable administrative lapse, the Vice-Chancellor ordered the immediate finalization of the dossier strictly from official records. The university is currently preparing for official visits of Governor and the Chief Justice of India, events demanding strict protocol, security coordination, and campus tranquility.
Beyond internal discord and campus unrest, the order paints a bleak portrait of University’s fiscal solvency. The institution faces an accumulated budgetary deficit of nearly ₹150 crore, leaving it hard-pressed to clear recurring operational costs, faculty salaries, and statutory employee liabilities like gratuity and pensions.
The Vice-Chancellor underscored the urgency of advancing a pending Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model currently under government consideration to rescue the university's resource base under Section 44 of the 1986 Act.
The Registrar has been instructed to fast-track correspondence with state authorities and prevent delays in furnishing affidavits to courts adjudicating staff liability disputes.
Invoking statutory powers under the Himachal Pradesh Universities of Agriculture, Horticulture and Forestry Act, 1986, the Vice-Chancellor issued a comprehensive 10-point compliance mandate and served the three-Day Deadline.
The order stated that Acharya must submit a consolidated status report within three working days addressing the stalled Lok Bhavan foreign-tour report, the ₹150-crore fiscal revival strategy, pending litigation, and employee liabilities. The order strictly cautioned that "personal differences, disagreement or any other consideration shall not interfere with the discharge of statutory and public duties."
Interim Arrangements: In an implicit check on the office, the order stipulates that should the regular Registrar proceed on leave or remain away from his post, the Vice-Chancellor will immediately reassign the duties of the office to another university official.
The order warns that continued failure to enforce campus discipline, process student grievances, or heed lawful directions will invite formal disciplinary proceedings under university statutes and applicable state law.
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