64% Himachal govt colleges sans regular principals

Bhanu P Lohumi

Shimla, April 22

Notwithstanding the claims of the Himachal Government of becoming a pioneer state in implementing the National Education Policy-2020, about 64 per cent (88 out of 137) of the government degree colleges are without regular principals.

Meet on Promotions not being held

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• The posts of principal are vacant in 11 colleges at Kangra, Shimla and Sirmaur; 10 in Mandi; nine in Chamba; five in Kullu and Una; four in Solan; two in Bilaspur; and one each in Kinnaur and Lahaul and Spiti
• Two posts of principal designated as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) at the Directorate of Education in Shimla, too, are lying vacant. Six more principals will retire by July 2022
• The meeting for Departmental Promotion Committee for principals has not been convened since 2018

Posts of principal are vacant in 70 colleges, including five newly opened/notified colleges at Nohradhar (Sirmaur), Kupvi (Shimla), Dalhousie (Chamba), Ghandalwin (Bilaspur) and Sataun (Sirmaur). In 18 colleges, principals are working in officiating capacity. Only 49 colleges have regular principals.

The posts of principal are lying vacant in 11 colleges at Kangra, Shimla and Sirmaur, 10 in Mandi, nine in Chamba, five in Kullu and Una, four in Solan, two in Bilaspur and one each in Kinnaur and Lahaul and Spiti. Two posts of Principal designated as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) at the Directorate of Education in Shimla, too, are lying vacant. Six more principals will retire by July 2022.

The Himachal Pradesh Government College Teachers’ Association alleged that the meeting for Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) for the promotion of principals has not been convened since 2018 because the government wanted to promote non-eligible candidates by overlooking the regulations of 2012. It alleged that several eligible teachers had superannuated without getting promoted as principals.

The list of 40 eligible candidates was sent to the government in January 2022. “I was eligible for the post of Principal for the past four and a half years and my name was number one in the promotion list but the DPC meeting was not held as the blue-eyed boys did not qualify in the list and I superannuated without getting promoted as

principal,” said OP Chauhan, Associate Professor from Degree College, Solan, who retired on March 31.

Due to the shortage of teaching staff, teachers are being deputed from one college to another and there have been cases where teachers were deputed for two days each in three colleges or deputed 70 km away from their place of posting without TA/DA, alleged college teachers. Teachers have not been recruited for the last four years in colleges. Last year, the state Cabinet had approved 516 posts of Assistant Professor which are yet to be advertised, they added.

When contacted, Director, Higher Education, Amarjeet Sharma said the DPC would be held soon. Scrutiny has been done as per the rule and the list has been sent to the government, he said, adding as many as 25 posts would be filled through direct recruitment while 18 officiating principals would be made regular principals.