HPUTWA Stages Protest Against Proposed Move to Curtail University Autonomy
Shimla, September 2, 2026: The Himachal Pradesh University Teachers Welfare Association (HPUTWA) staged a protest here on Wednesday against a proposed Bill seeking to change the recruitment process in six universities of Himachal Pradesh and route teacher appointments through the Public Service Commission.
Several senior professors and teachers of the university participated in the protest and expressed their views against the proposed legislation.
Addressing the gathering, HPUTWA President Prof. Nitin Vyas strongly opposed the proposed Bill and expressed serious concern over its implications. He said the legislation would weaken university autonomy, institutional identity and academic freedom. Recruitment, he said, was an important component of university autonomy, and placing it under external control would be a matter of serious concern for the future of universities.
Prof. Vyas said increasing dependence on external approvals not only for strategic decisions but also for routine administrative and academic matters could lead to unnecessary delays, reduce academic freedom and institutional flexibility, and affect teachers’ participation in institutional decision-making. This, he said, could adversely impact teaching, research and innovation.
HPUTWA maintained that autonomy and accountability were not contradictory. If allegations of irregularities exist in any institution, accountability should be ensured through impartial investigation, audits, evidence-based assessment and due legal process. However, limiting the powers and autonomy of all autonomous universities on the basis of alleged irregularities in some institutions would not be appropriate, the association said, adding that such an approach could raise concerns over decisions being based on preconceived notions.
The association also linked the present situation to its long-standing struggle over the Career Advancement Scheme (CAS). It said the issues of CAS and university autonomy were not merely service-related matters but were closely connected with academic dignity, professional respect for teachers, institutional independence and the future of universities.
During the protest, participants also questioned the relevance of higher academic qualifications if Ph.D. degrees, research publications, research experience, academic achievements and years of academic contribution were not given due recognition. They said higher education was founded on knowledge, research, merit, innovation and academic excellence, and policies should strengthen these values.
HPUTWA Secretary Dr. Ankush Bhardwaj also expressed serious concern over the proposed Bill, saying that the issue was not confined to any single university or organisation. He said any weakening of university autonomy and recruitment powers could have implications for the higher education system as a whole.
He called upon teachers and employees to remain united and protect their rights through democratic and constitutional means.
Samagra Sikhsha
