States » NorthPosted at: Sep 25 2026 11:42PM


Universities must become engines of hill state’s growth: CM

Solan, Sep 25 (UNI) In a firm push to reshape higher education into a driver of regional development, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Friday urged Himachal Pradesh’s universities to shed their conventional roles as mere "degree-granting factories" and align academic inquiry with the urgent socio-ecological realities of the hill state.
Addressing an academic conclave organized by the Himachal Pradesh Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Commission (HPPEIRC), the Chief Minister made an impassioned case for breaking the ivory tower model of academia. Research, he emphasized, must move out of isolated libraries and onto the frontlines of state governance.
"Higher education cannot function in isolation from governance and community realities," Sukhu told a gathering of chancellors, vice-chancellors, and research leaders.
"Our universities must pioneer actionable solutions tailored to Himachal’s fragile Himalayan topography, translating laboratory discoveries into grassroots resilience," he said.
Urging academic institutions to pivot toward region-specific problem-solving, CM identified climate adaptation, disaster mitigation, water conservation, and green tourism as non-negotiable research priorities. He also underscored the need for homegrown innovation in high-altitude horticulture, mountain food processing, forestry management, and renewable energy.
Turning to deepening disconnect between classroom instruction and market demand, the Chief Minister called for mandatory curriculum overhauls designed in concert with industry leaders. He proposed an institutional compact among private universities to pool research infrastructure, promote inter-campus faculty exchanges, and build joint incubators for high-altitude entrepreneurship.
Reflecting on recent structural interventions, Sukhu noted that Himachal has made significant strides nationally, vaulting from 21st place in 2021 to 5th in nationwide education quality indices. The state's school modernization drive features the rollout of Rajiv Gandhi Day Boarding Schools and widespread affiliation shifts.
According to the Chief Minister, 156 government schools have already adopted the CBSE curriculum, with another 100 set to follow in the forthcoming academic cycle. He reiterated zero tolerance for academic malpractice, citing systemic overhauls aimed at eliminating recruitment graft and examination leaks.
Interacting with young innovators at an on-site expo featuring student patents and tech prototypes, the Chief Minister linked institutional research directly to rural self-reliance. He highlighted current state-led market interventions, including guaranteed support prices for chemical-free farming, decentralized solar parks on fallow terrain, and fortified dairy supply chains.
Echoing the call for civic-minded innovation, Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. (Col.) Dhani Ram Shandil urged the student body to tether modern technical education to community welfare.
The day long conclave drew senior administrative and academic leadership, including MP Anurag Sharma, Arki MLA Sanjay Awasthi, Kasauli MLA Vinod Sultanpuri, HPSIDC Chairman Anurag Sharma, Education Secretary Rakesh Kanwar, Solan Deputy Commissioner Manmohan Sharma, HPPEIRC members Vijay Pal Singh and Lalit Chaudhary, alongside chancellors from across Himachal's private higher education landscape and students. UNI AKS CDS
Tags: #Universities must become engines of hill state’s growth: CM
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