Himachal’s Universities Struggle to Find Their Place in India’s Academic Landscape
The latest NIRF 2025 rankings have once again spotlighted a troubling trend for Himachal Pradesh’s higher education system: while a few institutions are making strides, many of the state’s public universities are still struggling to compete nationally.
Among the bright spots, IIT Mandi and Shoolini University stood out—ranked 58th in the Overall category and 69th in the University category, respectively. Shoolini also earned a strong 44th position in pharmacy, showcasing the growing impact of private institutions in the region.
But the absence of Himachal Pradesh University and the Central University of Himachal Pradesh from the top 100 is hard to ignore. Despite receiving substantial government funding, these institutions failed to make a mark, raising serious questions about academic quality, research output, and institutional accountability.
Other specialized institutions did show promise. IIT Mandi ranked 26th in engineering and 10th in innovation. NIT Hamirpur made it to 97th in engineering. In agriculture, Dr. Y.S. Parmar University and CSK Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya secured 20th and 29th positions, respectively. Himachal Pradesh National Law University earned 34th in law, and IIM Sirmaur was ranked 51st in management.
Nationally, the rankings reaffirmed the dominance of elite institutions like IIT Madras, IISc Bengaluru, and IIT Bombay, with new categories like Sustainable Development Goals adding depth to the evaluation process.
For Himachal, the message is clear: excellence in education requires more than just funding. Experts say that to climb the rankings, public universities must invest in faculty development, research infrastructure, and stronger industry linkages. The gap between potential and performance is widening—and unless addressed, it could leave generations of students behind.
As competition intensifies across India’s academic landscape, Himachal’s institutions must ask themselves: are we evolving fast enough to meet the future?
