The Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) has asked the district administration to provide it 100 bigha to set up an alternative campus, which will enable University to start 57 new courses, and a house for the international division with foreign students.
The HPU has been approached by the Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry to start its international division by admitting 20 students from this year. Due to paucity of land, the HPU is not in a position to construct infrastructure, including a foreign student guest house, as no land is available at the site in Summer Hill.
Therefore, the HPU authorities approached the district administration to provide them 100 bigha in the vicinity of Shimla so that work on an alternative campus could be started. There was more urgency as the HPU authorities were keen to start the international division at the earliest. Vice-Chancellor ADN Bajpai confirm the development and hoping to clear the land earliest. Bajpai said that HRD officials directed that the HPU should prepare to take in 1,000 foreign students in the next four years.
The paucity of land was proving a major hindrance in HPU expansion and the starting of new courses as well. Because of thick forest surrounding it, the HPU did not have space for new buildings, a must for the 57 proposed courses. The new courses cleared by the academic and executive council included a five-year law course and professional courses in business administration and computer applications.
