Education in Himachal Pradesh

Himachal Pradesh was under the direct control of the British colonial rule in the mid 19th century. Also, the state was the summer capital of India during the British colonial rule. Hence, the standard of education provided in the state has reached to a considerably high level. The state has several highly reputed educational institutions for higher studies.
The Indian Institute of Technology Mandi, Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) and the National Institute of Technology (NIT), NIT Hamirpur are some of the pioneer institutions located in the state. The University Grants Commission (UGC) has allocated Rs 45 million to Himachal Pradesh University in the 10th plan which is an increase of nearly 70% over the ninth one.[1] Dr. Yashwant Singh Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry has gained a unique distinction not only in the nation but also in whole of Asia for imparting teaching, research and extension education in horticulture, forestry and allied disciplines.

Facts and Figures
TypeNumber
Primary schools10483
Middle schools1056
Secondary / Higher secondary schools1339
General colleges64
Medical colleges25
Homoeopathic medical colleges01
Engineering187
Universities20
S.S.I. Units30176

The government is working constantly to prepare various plans to strengthen the education system of Himachal. The state government has decided to start up with 3 major nursing colleges to develop the health system in the state.[2]
Himachal has one of the highest literacy rates in India. Hamirpur District is among the top districts in the country for literacy. Education rates among women are quite encouraging in the state.
Himachal Pradesh is home to many educational institutions offering a wide variety of courses. There are five universities, two medical colleges, four dental colleges and two engineering colleges in the state. There are over 10,000 primary schools, 1,000 secondary schools and more than 1,300 high schools in Himachal.[3] Hindi and English are compulsory languages in schools whereas Punjabi, Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu are chosen as optional languages.[4]

In meeting the constitutional obligation to make primary education compulsory, Himachal has now become the first state in India to make elementary education accessible to every child in the state.[5] Himachal Pradesh government is also very keen to transform this state into an education hub. In March 2008, Government of India made an announcement stating that as part of the 11th five-year plan, an Indian Institute of Technology will be established in this state. Further, Atal Bihari Vajpayee Government Engineering and Technology Institute has been started at Pragatinagar, in Shimla district. This college will have engineering related courses such as ITI, Diploma and Degree all in same campus.

Educational Institutes

Engineering institutions
National Institute of Technology, Hamirpur, (Admin block)

The state of Himachal Pradesh is a late starter in establishing engineering institutes as compared to other states of India. National Institute of Technology, Hamirpur (then Regional Engineering College, Hamirpur) was the first institute established in 1986. IITT college of Engineering, Kala Amb was the second institute established in the 20th century. The remaining institutes were established in the 21st century. A Government engineering school namely, Jawaharlal Nehru Government Engineering College in Sundernagar, was established by state govt in 2006. Needless to say that none of these institutions have achieved academic maturity as yet. Though some institutions (notably National Institute of Technology, Hamirpur) are striving hard to be centrs of excellence, however the results are not encouraging. People of Himachal Pradesh nurture a desire to make this state a Switzerland of India because both share similar topography, however Himachal Pradesh lacks Swiss industrial prowess at present. It is hoped that manpower trained at these institutions shall support the industries in the region and some budding entrepreneurs will emerge to transform the industrial landscape of the state.

Educational institutions (non-governmental)

Himachal Pradesh is home to several non-governmental organisations (NGO) operating educational institutes in the state.

  • Deer Park Institute offers educational courses and seminars in classical Indian wisdom traditions.[6]
  • Dharmalaya Institute provides education and vocational training in vernacular earthen architecture in the traditional Kangra style, as well as service-learning courses in sustainable living and immersive ecotourism programs.[7]
  • NISHTHA is a charitable trust working for the benefit and development of society as a whole by improving the welfare of families with particular focus on women and children, through activities in the fields of health, education and environment.[8]
  • Shantideva Homeopathic Research Institute (SHRI) runs educational programs to increase awareness of healthy lifestyles, offering free clinics and seminars for the rural population of Himachal Pradesh.

Dr Puran Chand Medical Charitable Trust (Regd) runs a number of Institutions in the State – Himachal Dental College, Sundernagar (District Mandi), Himachal Institute of Dental Sciences, Himachal Institute of Technology, Himachal Institute of Nursing, Himachal Institute of Life Sciences, and Himachal Institute of Pharmacy all at Paonta Sahib (District Sirmaur)

References
  1. Dua, H.K. (2006). "UGC 10th plan". The Tribune Trust. The Tribune House. Retrieved 16 March 2007.
  2. "Educational Profile of Himachal Pradesh". General Overview of Education in Himachal. Pragati Infosoft Pvt. Ltd. Archived from the original on 2 February 2008. Retrieved 16 March 2007.
  3. "Factual source on Education in Himachal". Government of India. Archived from the original on 30 April 2007. Retrieved 16 March 2007.
  4. [nclm.nic.in/shared/linkimages/NCLM47thReport.pdf National Committee for Linguistic Minorities]
  5. Dua, H.K. (2006). "Educational updates- Himachal". The Tribune Trust. The Tribune House. Retrieved 16 March 2007.
  6. "Welcome to Deer Park Institute". deerpark.in.
  7. "Dharmalaya Institute: Our Himalayan Eco-Campus – Dharmalaya". dharmalaya.in.
  8. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 25 April 2012. Retrieved 29 February 2012.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

Himachal Pradesh has 20 Universities.

See also
  • List of educational institutions in Himachal Pradesh
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