Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) is set for a major academic overhaul, with Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu announcing new-age courses and international exposure trips for both students and faculty. Speaking at the university’s 57th Foundation Day event, Sukhu promised sufficient funding to make this happen and called for broader reform across the higher education sector, pushing universities to launch more employment-focused programmes.
He revealed that HPU will soon be named the nodal agency for green hydrogen and said the institution needs to align itself with emerging fields like artificial intelligence, quantum computing and data storage. To back this up, he announced a Rs 5 crore grant for launching a B.Tech programme in Artificial Intelligence at the university.
Sukhu got personal too, recalling that he spent eight years at HPU and credited the university with shaping his political career, noting that Union Health Minister JP Nadda is also among its notable alumni. He pointed to a turnaround in the state’s education rankings — from 21st to fifth nationally — despite Himachal facing a tough financial situation when his government took charge. He also mentioned that around 500 institutions opened by the previous BJP government for political rather than educational reasons had since been shut down, while over 150 new CBSE schools opened under his administration, lifting enrolment by more than 24,000 students. Other reforms cited included introducing English-medium instruction from Class 1 and setting up Rajiv Gandhi day-boarding schools.
On the infrastructure front, Sukhu said affordable student housing will soon be available at the new Himachal Bhawan in Delhi, expected to be ready within a month. He also laid foundation stones for a Rs 10.25 crore digital library and a Rs 6.09 crore administrative block for the University Institute of Legal Studies.
HPU Vice-Chancellor Professor Mahavir Singh added that five new specialised centres are being set up at the university, with every department set to link into them, and confirmed HPU has signed an MoU with IIT Roorkee. MLA Harish Janartha and Mayor Surinder Chauhan were among the dignitaries present.