Infrastructure Location Of University Cannot Be Dictated By Students: Himachal Pradesh High Court

The Himachal Pradesh High Court has dismissed a petition filed by students of Sardar Patel University, Mandi, holding that the decision regarding the infrastructure location of the University is to be taken by the State Higher Education Council, Department of Higher Education, along with the Government of Himachal Pradesh, and cannot be dictated by the students.

Justice Ajay Mohan Goel said: “This Court again reiterates that where the infrastructure of the Cluster University is to come up is the domain of the respondents and it is not for the petitioners to dictate the respondents as to where they should come up with their infrastructure.”

The students of the University sought to quash an office communication through which the Director of Higher Education directed Sardar Patel University to hand over a building constructed under the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan to Maharaja Lakshman Sen Memorial College, located in Sundernagar, District Mandi.

They contended that they had enrolled with the University on the expectation that, in terms of a Memorandum of Understanding, the University would conduct classes from the Maharaja Lakshman Sen Memorial College itself.

They argued that handing over the building causes hardship to them as they were residents of Sunder Nagar and deprived them of the promised infrastructure and forced them to attend classes at other locations farther from Sundernagar, which was inconvenient for them.

The State contended that the petitioners lacked locus standi, as the creation of the University and allocation of infrastructure were policy decisions taken after deliberations among all stakeholders i.e., the State Higher Education Council, Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan, Department of Higher Education, Government of Himachal Pradesh, Maharaja Laksham Sen Memorial Trust and Maharaja Laksham Sen Memorial College, Sundernagar.

The Court remarked that the Executive Council of the University approved the decision to hand over the building, and alternative infrastructure was also arranged for the University.

Accordingly, the petition was dismissed.

Case Name: Aman Chauhan & others v/s State of H.P. & Ors.

Case No.: CWP No. 10972of 2025

Date of Decision: 10.07.2025

For the Petitioner: Mr. Vivek Singh Attri, Advocate.

For the Respondents: Mr. Pushpinder Jaswal, Additional Advocate General, for respondents No. 1 to 3-State. Mr. Janak Raj, Central Government Counsel, for respondent No.4. Ms. Archna Dutt, Advocate, for respondent No.5. Mr. Yudhvir Singh Thakur, Advocate, for respondents No.6 and 7.

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