CM Dhami inaugurates library, bio-sciences lab and community radio at Doon University
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Dehradun, August 13, 2026 — Three new facilities opened at once on a single campus, and Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami was there to mark the moment. At Doon University in Dehradun, Dhami inaugurated the newly constructed Central Library building and the School of Biological Sciences laboratory, and formally launched community radio station 88.4 FM — all on the same afternoon.
What opened at Doon University today
The Central Library building gives the university a dedicated, purpose-built space for its collections — a foundational piece of infrastructure for any research institution. Alongside it, the new School of Biological Sciences laboratory building expands the university's capacity for hands-on scientific work, a critical gap in many state universities across the hill region.
The third inauguration — Community Radio 88.4 FM — adds a different kind of reach entirely. Campus community radio stations have emerged across Indian universities as low-cost, high-impact tools for local-language education and public outreach, and Doon University's new frequency now joins that network.
Doon University's two-decade climb
Doon University was established in 2005 by the Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly, part of the state's early push to build higher-education capacity after its formation in 2000. Located in the state capital, it has steadily grown its academic portfolio. Today's additions — a proper central library, a biological sciences lab, and a broadcast voice — represent a tangible upgrade to that physical and academic foundation.
Uttarakhand governments have periodically invested in university infrastructure as part of broader higher-education expansion, and the simultaneous commissioning of three distinct facilities signals an effort to consolidate multiple development threads in a single public moment.
A frequency for the community
Community radio in India operates under a framework that reserves airtime for local content — agriculture advisories, health information, folk culture, and civic awareness. A university-based station like 88.4 FM typically blends academic programming with community service, giving students real broadcast experience while serving the wider Dehradun population. Whether it builds a loyal listenership will depend on the programming choices made in the months ahead.
For now, the campus has a new library, a new lab, and a new voice on the airwaves — three additions that, taken together, move Doon University meaningfully closer to the profile of a full-service research and community institution.