The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has recommended 334 candidates to fill the long-pending vacant positions of principals in Delhi government-run schools, officials from the L-G (Lieutenant-General) office said on Thursday, March 23.
While the recruitment tests and interviews had shortlisted 363 candidates, the central recruitment body could not recommend 29 of them due to the non-availability of suitable candidates in different categories, they added, stated a report by The New Indian Express. According to officials, the vacancy of principals over the years rose up to 424 while the sanctioned strength is 475.
According to the data shared by officials, the vacant positions that stood at 56 in 2010-11 rose up to 241 in 2014-15 when the Arvind Kejriwal government was elected to power. The vacancy further hiked to 424 against 475 sanctioned strength in 2022.
"The position of principals which is critical for the administration and academic performance of the schools had been lying vacant for long and it is expected that with the vacancies filled now, the related issues will stand sorted," a senior official from Raj Niwas, said as reported by The New Indian Express.
Last month, the vacancies had become a flashpoint between the L-G and AAP government in Delhi when the former had put on hold a proposal to abolish 244 posts of principal/deputy education officer as proposed by the Education Department since the said posts were lying vacant for over five years.
Meanwhile, the Delhi government rejoiced over UPSC's move to recruit principals as nearly 100 candidates belong to government schools under Delhi's Directorate of Education (DoE). Education Minister Atishi even met the newly appointed principals on Thursday, March 23, and congratulated them. The city government also said that the top three ranks have also been taken by the DoE school teachers and vice-principals in both male and female categories, as reported by The New Indian Express.
