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LATEST
NEWS |
19th
March 2010 / Times of India / Pune Edition
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 Colleges race to appoint heads
MAY 31 DEADLINE DRAWS CLOSE
291 Institutions Under University Of Pune Have No Full-Time Principals
Pune: As many as 291 of the total 587 colleges under the University of Pune (UoP) continue to run without a full-time principal even as the May 31, 2010 deadline set by the Supreme Court (SC) for effecting such appointments nears.
The apex court deadline had provided a year-long breather to all governmentrun, aided and private unaided colleges in the state to appoint regular principals. The Nagpur bench of the Bombay high court’s judgement of December 3, 2008, laid a time-bound programme for such appointments to be completed latest by May 31, 2009. A section of colleges from Mumbai, Pune and Nashik had moved the apex court against the high court’s impugned verdict.
The long breather notwithstanding, things have barely changed especially at professional institutions like engineering, architecture, law, pharmacy and education colleges. They continue to struggle to meet the norm of having a Ph.Dqualified candidate for the key post. Private unaided arts, science and commerce colleges too are not far behind. “Almost 50 pc of colleges under UoP continue to run without regular principals,” said Nandkumar Nikam, president, state federation of principals, while speaking to TOI.
The absence of a full-time principal is seen as one of the key factors behind the falling standards of education in colleges considering that the principal is the sole ‘drawing and disbursing’ authority with control over funds and grants available to an institution from different sources. The principal’s presence ensures effective control over the dayto-day functioning of an academic institution.
With the state department for higher and technical education pushing for major reforms aimed at enabling the colleges to stand up to the globalisation-driven competition, the issue of filling up teaching as well as non-teaching posts has acquired a greater significance over the last one year. The idea is also to curb ad hocism that prevails at several private unaided colleges.
A government resolution (GR) issued by the department on January 30, 2010 had fixed the responsibility on the concerned college managements as well as the affiliating university to see that the SC as well as the high court orders were implemented in letter and spirit.
While the universities were asked to take a regular review of the progress over these appointments, the GR stated that aided colleges failing to meet the deadline will be shut down. Similarly, it warned of punitive action against the concerned university in case of failure to get the court orders implemented.
According to Nikam, “It’s not just about principals. The issue goes further to ensuring appointment of lecturers as sought by the high court judgement. The government has put a whole lot of restrictions on filling the lecturers’ posts, which is hindering the process of filling these vacancies. At the same time, it expects the colleges to improve their performance.”
Nikam said, “The 160 aided colleges under UoP have 4,953 posts for teachers or lecturers and 669 of these posts remain vacant. Similarly, 4,057 of the total 4,833 nonteaching posts have been filled. There are 776 vacant posts. Colleges can hardly run smoothly with such a large number of vacancies. ”
A senior university official pointed out that the problem has also to do with the government’s approach of sanctioning new colleges left, right and centre__mainly out of political expediency and without examining the viability of such colleges especially in rural and semiurban areas.
The problem of vacant principals’ post is more pronounced in unaided colleges, specially those in rural and semi-urban areas where qualified candidates are reluctant to go for different reasons including unattractive pay packets.
— Pandit Vidyasagar | DIRECTOR, UOP’S BOARD OF COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY DEVELOPMENT
Finding a Ph.D-qualified candidate for a principal’s post remains a critical issue for engineering, pharmacy and law colleges. The government will have to come up with an apt solution. Colleges that are genuinely taking efforts to fill the post should not be penalised.
— Gajanan Ekbote | CHAIRMAN, PROGRESSIVE EDUCATION SOCIETY (PES), WHICH RUNS SEVERAL PROFESSIONAL AND DEGREE COLLEGES
Impractical and rigid norms is another issue. Almost 80 pc of the architecture colleges have no full-time principal as there are hardly any Ph.D qualified candidates to meet the norm. Moreover, there is no single centre in the state where an aspirant can enroll for Ph.D in architecture. The university needs to look into this.
— Anurag Kashyap | PRINCIPAL OF BHANUBEN NANAVATI COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE
THE LATEST AT UOP
There are 587 affiliated colleges
Of the 160 aided colleges, 153 have full-time principals
Of the 427 unaided colleges, 143 have full-time principals
There are 291 (7 aided) and (284 unaided) colleges without full-time principals
COURSE-WISE VACANCIES
Arts, Science & Commerce: 6 (aided) & 116 (unaided)
Law - 1 (aided) & 10 (unaided)
B.Ed - 58 (all unaided)
Engg, pharmacy & architecture: 43 (all unaided)
(Source: Board of college and university development office, UoP)
THE ROADBLOCKS
Inadequate number of Ph.D-qualified candidates for principal’s post
Impractical norms especially for professional institutions
Reluctance of qualified candidates to go to rural / semiurban areas
Institutions find it difficult to offer 6th Pay Commission package to candidates
Functional viability of several institutions in doubt especially in rural areas
Government approach towards sanctioning new colleges despite these issues
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