Shimla: Teaching and Research Faculty of Institute of Integrated Himalayan Studies, H.P. University, Summer Hill, Shimla have observed a token hunger strike on 6th February, 2014 in the campus of IIHS.

Institute, which is UGC’s Centre of Excellence, came into being in the year 2002 and has 14 teaching faculty. The staff has been demanding the regularization of their services since a long time. After failing to get respite from the University Authorities, agitated IIHS staff files a writ petition in the Hon’ble High Court of Himachal Pradesh. In the year 2008, the court passed the judgment for the regularization, which wasn’t taken up seriously by the University Authority. Later in the year 2011, the staff filed the contempt petition in the Hon’ble High Court.

In a press communiqué, Dr. B.S.Negi, Project Officer, IIHS, HPU stated that the University has submitted compliance to the Hon’ble High Court, wherein they have accepted that the matter will be taken up on priority basis, but the University authority hasn’t done anything in this regard.

A special committee, which was constituted by the Executive Council of the University to give their opinion in the matter under the chairmanship of Bamber Thakur, also ruled in staff’s favor, but University authority haven’t entertained the decision yet.

Agitated Teaching and Research staff has requested University Authority to work accordance with the Court ruling and threaten launch chain hunger strike and then Fast Till Death, if their demands won’t accepted.