In an unprecedented development at Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, officiating vice-chancellor HS Baweja locked himself inside his office and summoned police protection on Monday, citing security fears during a confrontation with protesting faculty members.
The high-voltage drama unfolded when five faculty members sought an audience with Baweja to enquire about administrative notices served to four of them. When security guards blocked their entry on the V-C’s instructions, a heated exchange broke out, prompting Baweja to contact chief secretary KK Pant, director general of police Ashok Tiwari, and Solan superintendent of police T Sai Dattatreyavarma to report an imminent threat. Police personnel arrived on campus to defuse the situation, though no FIR was registered or detentions made. The police have, however, initiated an inquiry into the incident. The university administration subsequently issued notices accusing them of indiscipline. “If attending an event in a personal capacity to meet the governor on a holiday violates rules, the administration must specify which provision we breached.
The controversy stems from an October 2 event at Gan Ki Ser in Solan featuring governor Kavinder Gupta, which four faculty members, including two women, attended.
“We went to understand the grounds for these notices,” said Ashu Chandel, the head of the department of basic sciences. If the V-C refuses to meet us, we will take our grievance directly to the governor, who is the university chancellor,” she said.
Ashu Chandel alleged that the current administration recently submitted a 24-page complaint to the State Vigilance Bureau, questioning the legality of her original appointment and recommending her termination. Ashu is the wife of former vice-chancellor Rajeshwar Chandel, whose tenure ended in May 2026 before Baweja took additional charge of the office. In an official statement, Baweja defended his decision to lock himself inside: “Around 10:25am, individuals were creating a disturbance outside.
The clash highlights a deepening rift within the campus leadership. Security personnel warned me of malicious intent and potential physical harm, advising me to lock the room immediately. Neither the registrar’s office nor Raj Bhavan has issued a formal statement on the matter so far The confrontation occurred amid ongoing student protests led by the ABVP, the BJP’s student wing, against disciplinary actions. These protests follow campus disruptions in August caused by a four-day power and water outage that compromised laboratory research samples.
