Shimla, Aug. 27 -- In a setback to the Himachal Pradesh government, the High Court has struck down key provisions governing the appointment of Vice-Chancellors in the state's agriculture and horticulture universities, holding that the amended provisions were "ultra vires" and in conflict with the University Grants Commission Act, 1956.
A division bench of Justice Vivek Singh Thakur and Justice Ranjan Sharma passed the order on petitions filed by Narender Kumar Sankhyan and Sanjeev Kumar Chauhan.
The case concerned the appointments of Vice-Chancellors to Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur, and Dr Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan.
In its 109-page order, the court held that the 2025 amendment to Section 23(4) of the Himachal Pradesh Universities of Agriculture, Horticulture and Forestry Act, 1986, was beyond the state's legislative competence. The amendment had inserted the words "on the aid and advice of the government".
The court also struck down the amended Section 24, which made the appointment of Vice-Chancellors subject to the aid and advice of the state government.
The bench observed that the provisions were "ultra vires" the Constitution and the UGC Act, 1956, and were in violation of the UGC Regulations, 2018.
The petitioners had challenged the amendments to Sections 23 and 24, the Himachal Pradesh Universities of Agriculture, Horticulture and Forestry Rules, 2026, and advertisements issued on February 26, 2026, inviting applications for the two posts.
The High Court quashed the advertisements and directed the state government and the Chancellor to initiate and complete a fresh selection process for the two Vice-Chancellors expeditiously and strictly in accordance with UGC norms. The court disposed of the petitions on Wednesday, effectively requiring the authorities to restart the appointment process for both universities.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.