The Himachal Pradesh government is considering merging degree colleges with low student enrollment following its decision to close and merge schools with low student numbers. The Higher Education Department has directed all degree, Sanskrit, and technical colleges to submit enrollment reports from April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024, and for the academic session 2024-25.
A performa has been issued to streamline the process, requiring institutions to provide stream-wise enrollment data. This move is expected to rationalize teachers and resources across colleges. Reports suggest that some colleges have fewer than 50 students, yet teachers for every subject are posted in these institutions. The government plans to reallocate subjects and faculty to colleges with higher student numbers to address inefficiencies.
Subjects with minimal or no student enrollment may be removed and offered in nearby colleges with higher demand. For example, if a science stream in a college has a low number of students, both the students and their teachers may be transferred to another institution with better enrollment figures.
The government has also signalled its intent to monitor private educational institutions in the state. Himachal Pradesh has 130 government degree colleges and over 50 private educational institutions.
This rationalization effort aims to optimize resource allocation and ensure that institutions can offer quality education with adequate faculty and subject availability.
