The Central University of Himachal Pradesh (CUHP) is a public central university located in the state of Himachal Pradesh, India. Established by an Act of the Parliament of India, the university was founded to provide higher education and promote research, particularly in the Himalayan region.
| Name | Central University of Himachal Pradesh |
|---|---|
| Type | Public central university |
| Established | 2009 |
| Founded under | Central Universities Act, 2009 |
| Location | Dharamshala / Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh, India |
| State | Himachal Pradesh |
| Country | India |
The Central University of Himachal Pradesh was created as part of a wider initiative by the Government of India to expand the network of central universities across states that did not previously host one. The Central Universities Act, 2009 led to the creation of several new central universities, of which CUHP is one. The university is funded and regulated through the Ministry of Education and the University Grants Commission (UGC).
The university is headquartered in the Kangra region of Himachal Pradesh, with academic operations carried out from campuses in and around Dharamshala. Permanent campus development has been planned at sites in Dehra and Dharamshala (Jadrangal), reflecting the institution's intended footprint in the lower and middle Himalayan belt.
CUHP offers undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programmes across a range of disciplines. Its academic structure is organised into schools, which group together cognate departments. Areas of teaching and research include:
The university places particular emphasis on subjects relevant to the Himalayan region, including environmental studies, tourism, and indigenous knowledge systems.
As with other central universities in India, CUHP is governed by statutory bodies including a Court, an Executive Council, an Academic Council, and Finance and Planning Boards. The Visitor of the university is the President of India, while a Chancellor serves as the ceremonial head and the Vice-Chancellor functions as the principal executive and academic officer.
CUHP is the sole central university in Himachal Pradesh and complements the older state-run Himachal Pradesh University at Shimla. Its establishment expanded access to centrally funded higher education in the western Himalayan region and contributed to research capacity in subjects linked to mountain ecology, culture, and society.