Nearly all the 66 government Arts and Science colleges in the state are headless leading to a detrimental impact on the quality of education. The prolonged vacancies in the positions of principals in several colleges are a cause for concern.
For instance, the Government College at Manakada in Malappuram has been without a principal since 2019. Similarly, the Government Arts and Science College at Meenchanda in Kozhikode, the C Achutha Menon Government College in Thrissur, and the Government Arts College at Thycadu in Thiruvananthapuram have all faced vacancies in the principal's position for the past three years and one year respectively.
How is the lack of principals affecting everything else
According to a lecturer at a government college, the lack of a principal had adversely affected the functioning of the institutions. Many of the decisions regarding the implementation and also the inauguration of the completed projects get delayed due to the absence of a principal, said the lecturer. The teachers blame politics as the reason behind the inordinate delay in the appointment of new principals.
Although the higher education department compiled a list of 43 eligible candidates to fill the vacant positions, there has been no significant advancement in the matter. The list was prepared following the existing rules and regulations for principal appointments in colleges. However, despite the list being approved by the Kerala Public Service Commission (KPSC) and submitted to the Minister of Higher Education over 10 months ago, no appointments have been made to date, according to a reliable source.
The teachers' association is the one behind the delay in filling the vacant posts, said Rajan Gurukkal, Vice-Chairman of the Kerala Higher Education Council. Complaints filed by the various teachers' unions have led to a delay in the appointment process. However, many of these complaints don't have legal standing. The associations have been continuously raising grievances related to their service claims, delaying the appointments, he said.
Regarding the steps taken to address the situation, Gurukkal stated that the matter has been urgently raised with the minister. Student organisations like the Students' Federation of India (SFI) and Kerala Students Union (KSU) had taken up the issue with the Higher Education Department. "We approached the minister, and she assured us that the issue would be solved," said Arjun Babu, SFI, Ernakulam District Secretary.
Who is to blame?
RS Sasikumar, of the Save University Campaign Committee, blamed the left-affiliated associations for the situation. The teachers think that people with seniority will get appointed as the principal. However, the University Grants Commission (UGC) rules say differently, he said. He mentioned that the situation is similar in aided colleges managed by private organisations. The committee plans to approach the court to seek a resolution to this problem.
Meanwhile, the situation remains concerning as even state universities are currently lacking full-time vice-chancellors.
Higher Education Minister R Bindu said the issue will be resolved by June second week. A list of candidates had been prepared to fill the vacancies. However, it had to be put on hold after many probable candidates complained that their publications were not taken into consideration. It should be noted that even UGC has not set criteria when it comes to such publications. So, the department set up a committee to study the complaints. Once the committee's report is received the list of principals will be finalised, she said.
