• Source:JND
HighLights
  1. Himachal merges 10 colleges due to low student numbers.
  2. Rs 5,000 monthly stipend for affected students.
  3. No new admissions in merged colleges from 2026-27.

State Bureau, Shimla: The state government on Saturday merged 10 government colleges that currently have fewer than 75 students. To ease the financial burden on second- and third-year students, the government will provide a monthly stipend of Rs 5,000.

According to a notification issued by Dr Harish Kumar, Director of the Higher Department, this stipend will only be granted to students who enrol in the colleges with which they have been merged, and will not be available to those who choose to enrol in any other college.

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No New Admission Will Be Accepted AT THESE Colleges

The Higher Education Department has announced that no new admissions will be accepted at the 10 merged colleges starting from the 2026-27 academic year. The colleges that have been closed include:

- Tikkar, Bhalei

- Kukumseri

- Kupvi

- Sandhol

- Multan

- Jainagar

- Nankhari

- Ronhat

- Kotli Degree Colleges

The Director of the Higher Education Department has instructed the principals of these colleges not to accept new admissions in any class, including first-year and conduct special counselling sessions for second- and third-year students.

These special sessions aim to provide information to students about admission to new institutions, subject selection, and other academic processes.

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Decision Raises Questions

While the state government initially finalised the decision last year, the implementation was delayed after intense opposition from parents and students because the academic session was already underway. To avoid legal challenges, officials delayed the decision until the end of the term. Now, as the new session begins, the government has officially issued the notification.

The decision has raised concerns over student commute and expenses. Until now, students attended colleges near their homes, but after the merger, they will need to travel to the district headquarters. This will increase housing, transportation, and other expenses.

According to a report by Jagran.com, students at Kukumseri College in the Lahaul-Spiti district are expected to be most affected as they will have to travel to Kullu for further studies. However, officials argue that the Rs 5,000 monthly stipend is provided to cover these additional costs.

This decision has also raised questions about the future of the college buildings and infrastructure, which were constructed at a cost of crores of rupees. However, the government has maintained that the mergers will allow better resource utilisation and improve the quality of higher education.

(With Inputs From Jagran.com)


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