Shimla, Aug. 17 — The appointment of vice-chancellors at Himachal Pradesh’s two agricultural universities has become the latest flashpoint between the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led state government and the Raj Bhawan, with the matter now under judicial scrutiny.
The row centers on advertisements issued on July 21 by the Raj Bhawan for filling the posts of vice-chancellor at Dr. Yashwant Singh Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni (Solan), and Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur. The state government on August 12 declared the advertisements “null and void,” but a day later Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla restored them and extended the deadline for applications until August 18.
The governor, as chancellor of both universities, cited statutory powers under Section 24 of the Himachal Pradesh Universities of Agriculture, Horticulture and Forestry Act, 1986, as authority to initiate the appointment process. However, on August 14, the Himachal Pradesh High Court stayed the advertisements in response to a petition challenging eligibility criteria.
Petitioner Ajay Deep Bindra, along with another principal scientist, argued that the recruitment notice excluded candidates working in positions equivalent to professor, contrary to Indian Council of Agricultural Research guidelines. The court asked the government to file a response within four weeks.
The Advocate General informed the bench that the governor’s secretary was not authorized to issue recruitment notices, which should instead be released by administrative heads of the agriculture and horticulture departments.
Chief minister Sukhu, speaking in Shimla after paying tributes to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, accused officials of misrepresenting the matter to the governor. “Whatever has been done is with cabinet approval and state legislation. I will meet the governor to resolve the issue. I respect the governor and have always worked in line with his advice, but constitutional powers rest with the state legislature, and those directives must be respected,” he said.
Sukhu pointed out that agriculture minister Jagat Singh Negi and agriculture secretary C. Palrasu had already written to the Raj Bhawan urging it not to issue the advertisements. “The state government withdrew this advertisement. Despite that, the Raj Bhawan still extended the date of application for the vice-chancellor,” he added.
Defending his actions, Governor Shukla refrained from commenting on the High Court’s interim order but insisted that his decisions were in the interest of the universities. “For the universities, whatever I did was in their interest. The court has stayed it, and I respect that. Whatever has to be done, I will do. I will leave it to the people of Himachal to decide why such steps were taken with Nauni and Palampur universities,” he said.
Meanwhile, the state assembly has already passed an amendment bill regarding VC appointments at both institutions, but the bill was sent back by the governor with objections, escalating tensions further.
This is not the first clash between the Sukhu government and Raj Bhawan. In January, the two sides sparred over delays in approving proposals to allocate land to the landless under the Forest Conservation Act. On Saturday, Sukhu said several important bills are still pending with the governor.
The stand-off over vice-chancellor appointments, now complicated by the High Court’s intervention, has added a fresh layer to the ongoing tussle between Himachal Pradesh’s executive and Raj Bhawan.
