The Himachal Pradesh unit of CPM on Sunday accused the state government of reducing HP Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Commission to a “proxy body” which has deviated from its primary objective of safeguarding the interests of students.

The party also ridiculed Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal for chairing the meeting of HPPEIRC despite the fact that it has a chairperson of its own.

 "The commission is an independent body and it was shocking to see the chief minister chairing the meeting of the Commission when it has its own Chairperson and the fact that no erring private educational institution has been penalised so far, was enough indication that the commission was serving the interests of the government," Tikender Singh Panwar, member of state secretariat of the party said.

The CPM said the hype created about setting up the Regulatory Commission to act as a watchdog for Private Educational Institutions and Universities was an eyewash. "If the government facing the allegations of selling out education, particularly the higher education for maximisation of profits by the private educational shops assumes the responsibility of pinning down erring Private Institutions, the basic purpose of constituting the Regulatory Commission would be defeated," Panwar said.

He alleged that the private universities and the state government are hand in glove and playing with the money and career of students. He said there have been instances where the private universities have admitted students for 5 year integrated courses of Engineering and Management with Matriculation as minimum qualification, which was unheard of.

Accusing HPPEIRC of acting as ‘rubber stamp” of the BJP government, he said the commission has deviated from its basic objective.