Solan: Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has urged universities in Himachal Pradesh to focus on research that addresses the state’s specific challenges and emerging needs, particularly in areas such as climate change, water conservation and disaster management.
He was speaking at an academic conclave on the “Institutional Contribution of the Himachal Pradesh Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Commission and Private Universities, Future Priorities and Collaborative Working Mechanism” in Solan. The conclave was organised by the Himachal Pradesh Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Commission in collaboration with private universities in the state.
Sukhu said meaningful research in areas including climate change, water conservation, disaster management, sustainable tourism, renewable energy, horticulture, healthcare and environment could play an important role in protecting the interests of Himachal Pradesh.
He said private universities should contribute more actively towards innovation and research while working closely with the state government and industry. According to him, stronger collaboration between educational institutions and industry is necessary to equip students with skills suited to changing employment requirements.
The Chief Minister also called upon universities to regularly update their curricula according to emerging opportunities in the job market. He said skill-based and industry-linked programmes could help students gain better employment as well as self-employment opportunities.
Sukhu urged private universities to work collectively in areas such as faculty development, research collaboration, student exchanges, start-ups and international partnerships. He said the state government was working to improve curricula, laboratories, research facilities and industry linkages as part of its efforts to strengthen education infrastructure.
Highlighting the state’s progress in education, Sukhu said Himachal Pradesh had improved its position in terms of quality education from 21st in 2021 to fifth place.
He said the government was also focusing on strengthening school education through well-equipped Rajiv Gandhi Day Boarding Schools and expanding the CBSE system in government schools. The CBSE curriculum has already been introduced in 156 government schools, while another 100 schools are proposed to be affiliated with CBSE next year.
Sukhu said private universities could play an important role in developing Himachal Pradesh as an education hub. He urged them to promote programmes linked to horticulture, food processing, agricultural technology, tourism and hospitality, renewable energy, forestry and healthcare.
During his interaction with students, the Chief Minister encouraged them to develop a mindset focused on self-reliance and efficient utilisation of water resources. He also highlighted government initiatives to increase milk production, promote natural farming and generate solar power on barren land to strengthen the rural economy.
He further said the state government was taking steps to completely curb incidents such as question-paper leaks and improve transparency in the education system.
