Stringent UGC norms leave majority of colleges in Kerala headless
The UGC norms for promoting senior teachers as professors and principals have made several teachers ineligible for promotion.
The UGC norms for promoting senior teachers as professors and principals have made several teachers ineligible for promotion.
The UGC norms for promoting senior teachers as professors and principals have made several teachers ineligible for promotion.
Thiruvananthapuram: Stringent norms laid out by the University Grants Commission (UGC) for appointing principals have rendered 56 out of the 66 government-run arts and science colleges in Kerala headless.
The offices of principals in four more colleges will fall vacant since the government has promoted the heads of those institutions as deputy directors.
Aided colleges, too, presented a similar picture. About 70 per cent of them are functioning without principals.
The UGC norms for promoting senior teachers as professors and principals have made several teachers ineligible for promotion. The situation has been compounded by the government's delay in appointing eligible candidates as junior teachers.
Schools too present a similar picture
About 2,000 schools in Kerala too are functioning without headmasters. Appointment of headmasters in 1,702 schools have been stalled for a year. The government runs 4,568 primary schools in the state. A case pertaining to the appointments was transferred to a division bench of the High Court recently.
About 20 government schools, too, do not have headmasters. Appointments of principals in more than 200 government higher secondary schools have been pending.
What UGC stipulates
Earlier, college principals were appointed based on the seniority of teachers. The UGC norms now mandate professors to have at at least 10 articles published in journals approved by it. Besides, the elevation will be based on a specific academic performance index.
Though 30 eligible candidates, who satisfy the norms, were found last year, their appointments as principals have been put in abeyance after protests against the move to ignore seniority.
Legal bar too
The state government has filed an affidavit before the Supreme Court, saying it will abide by the UGC norms. Citing the affidavit, the then principal secretary (higher education) opposed relaxing the eligibility criterion in 2018. Subsequently, the posts of principals have not been not filled.
The government has invited applications for the post of professors in various public colleges. The last date for submitting applications, however, has been extended repeatedly without citing any specific reason. It has been alleged that the government is delaying the appointments with the intention of relaxing the criteria of publishing 10 articles in UGC-approved journals.
Situation in aided colleges
The norms are applicable to aided colleges also. Universities are responsible for enforcing the UGC norms in aided colleges. Appointments of aided college principals have been dragging on since universities are yet to make a decision. A few minority educational institutions initiated themselves and appointed principals.
There are 75 colleges, including four of Music and as many training colleges, and a physical education college, under the Directorate of Collegiate Education.