Central University of Himachal Pradesh

The Central University of Himachal Pradesh (CUHP) was founded in 2009 under the Central Universities Act, 2009, by the Government of India to establish a central university in every Indian state without one. Professor Furkan Qamar assumed charge as the first Vice-Chancellor on January 20, 2010, and the University began operations at its temporary campus in Shahpur in July–August 2011. It is a publicly funded central university regulated by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and accredited by relevant national bodies. The University functions under a statutory governance system mandated by the Central Universities Act, comprising bodies such as the Executive Council (EC), Academic Council (AC), University Court, Finance Committee (FC), Building Committee, School Boards, Board of Studies (BoS), Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC), and various committees related to research ethics, examinations, student welfare, and research degrees. The Executive Council is the chief executive body responsible for administration, regulation, and management, including academic decisions, financial matters, faculty appointments, service rules, and policy implementation. The Vice-Chancellor chairs the EC, which includes deans, senior officials, and government representatives. The Academic Council is the supreme academic authority, responsible for framing academic policies, curriculum design, syllabus approval, examination regulation, and maintaining academic standards. It comprises Deans, Heads of Departments, senior professors, external experts, and nominees of the Executive Council, and plays a central role in promoting academic quality and innovation. The University Court serves as an advisory body that reviews broad policies and programmes and suggests measures for improvement, particularly in long-term planning, infrastructure expansion, and major academic initiatives.

TThe academic structure of the university is organised into Schools, Departments, and Centres, enabling focused teaching and specialised research activities. It has multiple Schools, Departments, and Centres such as Physics and Astronomical Science, Chemistry, Nanoscience and Materials, Mathematics, Computational Biology, Computer Science, Library Science, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Social Sciences, Humanities, Commerce, Business Administration, Education, Visual Arts, Tourism and Travel Management, and others, to provide higher education, advance research, and promote inclusive academic growth for students from India and abroad. The university emphasises learner-centric teaching, outcome-based curriculum design, skill development, and strong research orientation. Faculty members are engaged in national and international collaborations, funded projects, and interdisciplinary research. The university also promotes experiential learning through internships, field studies, laboratory work, and industry interactions.

It is a young public University, and it has three temporary campuses located in Dharamshala, Shahpur, and Dehra, District Kangra, Himachal Pradesh. Permanent campus work is progressing at Dehra. It has a student strength of approximately 3,000 and a faculty strength of around 200 across all campuses, with a supporting non-teaching staff of roughly 300. It offers a range of undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programs, as well as several value-added certificates and diploma courses. The courses are designed in accordance with the National Education Policy 2020. It has implemented the academic bank of credits facilities and offers a few classes from online platforms, such as SWAYAM and MOOCs. It has adopted external evaluation, and admission is taken through the CUET, conducted by the National Testing Agency, for both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. To improve the course structure and meet market demands, a feedback mechanism involving various stakeholders is employed. It strictly adheres to the reservation roster for admission to all programmes at the undergraduate, postgraduate, and PhD levels. Campuses are equipped with e-libraries or INFLIBNET resources (digital journals, research materials), internet access, research facilities, medical facilities, hostel options (in rented buildings, as permanent hostels are not yet built), Wi-Fi, and laboratories. A boys’ hostel has occupancy of about 110 students; there is a women’s hostel in Dharamshala and one at Dehra. Students may find PG (paying guest) accommodations or rented flats near the temporary campuses at fair rents. The university has arranged buses for transporting students staying in hostels or PGs at nearby locations at a monthly bus fare of ₹500 for daily two-way travel.

The university fosters a vibrant student life through cultural events, NSS activities, clubs, student societies, sports competitions, and community outreach programs. CUHP fosters an inclusive and safe environment, supported by mechanisms including the SPARSH (Sensitisation, Prevention and Redressal of Sexual Harassment) Committee, the Internal Complaints Committee, the Counselling Anti-Ragging Committee, the counselling cell, and the Career Guidance and Placement Cell.