Jairam Thakur Accuses Government of Conspiring to Shut Down Mandi University

Mandi, March 2, 2025: Former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur has accused the government of attempting to shut down Sardar Patel University (SPU) Mandi. In a strong statement, he urged the government to stop its “conspiracy” against the university.

Jairam Thakur alleged that the government first reduced SPU’s jurisdiction, leading to a sharp decline in the number of affiliated colleges. Then, it cut the university’s budget and seized its buildings, aiming to weaken the institution. Now, the government is allegedly trying to transfer all B.Ed. colleges under SPU to Himachal Pradesh University (HPU), Shimla, which would remove a major source of revenue and provide an excuse to shut down the university.

To support his claims, Thakur cited an official file (No. 1-1/2025-HPU (Academics)), dated February 22, which seeks opinions on shifting SPU-affiliated B.Ed. colleges to HPU. He warned that such a move would increase the financial burden on thousands of students and their parents.

Currently, 55 private and 1 government B.Ed. college are affiliated with HPU, whereas SPU has 18 affiliated B.Ed. colleges, generating an annual revenue of ₹3 crore. Thakur accused the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu government of trying to shut down SPU because they cannot establish a new university and are instead targeting an existing one. He further alleged that the government handed over an SPU building to a private college and delayed the inauguration of a ₹15 crore university building in Padhar.

Jairam Thakur also highlighted that SPU initially had 146 affiliated colleges across five districts (Mandi, Kangra, Chamba, Kullu, and Lahaul-Spiti). However, the government transferred colleges from Kangra, Chamba, and even Kullu’s Ani and Nirmand regions back to HPU, leaving SPU with only 46 affiliated colleges. If 18 more B.Ed. colleges are removed, the university would be left with almost nothing.

He accused the government of political vendetta, ignoring students’ interests, and urged it to focus on constructive politics rather than revenge-driven policies.