Shimla: Himachal Pradesh Police has initiated steps to strengthen security at university campuses across the state, asking all 17 private universities to designate nodal security officers and conduct joint security audits in the wake of recent incidents at universities in neighbouring states.
The move follows directions from Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu to review student safety measures at universities across Himachal Pradesh and take concrete steps to prevent similar incidents in the state.
In compliance with the Chief Minister’s directions, a meeting was held at Police Headquarters in Shimla on Monday, chaired by Director General of Police Ashok Tiwari, with vice-chancellors and senior representatives of the state’s 17 private universities. The meeting focused on strengthening campus security and establishing effective coordination between police authorities and university administrations.
A presentation on the recent incidents at Lovely Professional University and Chitkara University was made at the outset of the meeting, followed by detailed discussions on security arrangements and preventive measures.
Under the proposed mechanism, each university will designate a nodal security officer who will remain in regular contact with the Superintendent of Police of the concerned district. Joint security audits of university campuses will also be conducted, while clear procedures will be developed to ensure a coordinated response to emergencies.
The meeting reviewed several aspects of campus safety, including monitoring entry and exit points, verification of visitors, hostel security, police verification of private security personnel and regular training for security staff. The discussions also focused on ensuring that students’ safety concerns are addressed promptly and that potential security vulnerabilities are identified before an incident occurs.
To prevent misinformation and rumours from spreading on social media during emergencies, universities will coordinate with the police Cyber Crime and Media Cells. Each university will also appoint an authorised spokesperson to ensure that accurate information is communicated promptly.
Focus on drug prevention, cyber safety
The meeting also emphasised the need for greater participation by universities and students in the statewide anti-chitta campaign being led by the Chief Minister. Police and university administrations will work together to prevent drug-related activities on campuses and in surrounding areas.
DGP Tiwari urged universities to support the traffic volunteer scheme, strengthen cyber-safety awareness initiatives and make greater use of technology to improve security. The possibility of signing memoranda of understanding between universities and the police was also discussed to establish a more structured and sustained framework for cooperation.
Highlighting emergency response mechanisms, Tiwari said Himachal Pradesh Police’s emergency service, 112, ranks first nationally. He urged university administrations to familiarise students, particularly female students, with the emergency helpline and the ‘Track Me’ facility available for women’s safety. Students were also encouraged to follow the police’s official social media channels for safety-related information.
Preventive approach to student safety
The Chief Minister had directed the police and university administrations to take coordinated and concrete measures to ensure that students feel safe at educational institutions across the state and that parents remain confident about their children’s security.
Tiwari said the police aimed to develop systems that could prevent incidents before they occurred rather than rely solely on responses after something went wrong. He underlined that student safety, mental well-being and protection from drugs and cybercrime were shared responsibilities requiring active participation from university administrations, faculty members, students and law enforcement agencies.
He expressed confidence that regular dialogue, mutual trust and cooperation between the police and universities would help create a safer, more disciplined and positive environment at educational institutions across Himachal Pradesh.
The DGP urged students, teachers and university administrations to immediately report emergencies, suspicious activities or security concerns by calling 112.
