Himachal: Ten government colleges with a student strength of 75 to be merged

March 7, 2026

The Himachal Pradesh government has decided to merge 10 colleges with fewer than 75 students into nearby colleges. Three colleges in Shimla district, two each in Mandi and Kangra districts, and one each in Chamba, Solan, and Lahaul-Spiti districts will be accommodated.

Initially, the government had decided to merge colleges with fewer than 100 students, but due to opposition, only colleges with a student strength of 75 are being merged. Among the colleges being merged, Tikkar in Shimla district has 6 students, Kupvi has 53, and Nankhari has 66. Sandhol in Mandi district has 38 students, and Kotli has 70.

Haripur Guler in Kangra district has 32 students, and Multhan has 59 students. Furthermore, Bhalei in Chamba district has 19 students, Jaynagar in Solan district has 68, and Kukumseri in Lahaul-Spiti district has 40 students.

According to the Higher Education Department, due to the low student numbers in these colleges, resources were not being utilized properly. Consequently, the government has decided to rationalize these colleges to improve educational quality and ensure better utilization of available infrastructure.

Students studying in the merged colleges will be admitted to nearby colleges. After the merger, teachers and other staff will be declared surplus and transferred to institutions where they require them. A few days ago, the state government planned to merge colleges with fewer than 100 students. However, this proposal sparked opposition from various quarters.

Subsequently, the government took a U-turn and reduced the student limit from 100 to 75. This decision excluded 11 colleges from the merger scope. Education Minister Rohit Thakur stated that running colleges with low student numbers prevents the proper utilization of resources. Therefore, rationalizing colleges will improve the availability of teachers.