Headache for Govt Colleges
Out of 43 govt-run colleges in Gujarat, 39 are running sans a principal. Hey Ram!
By Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Saturday, July 18, 2009 (Ahmedabad Mirror : http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20Latest§id=2&contentid=2009071820090718032831796a58bb96c)
Students missing from classrooms is normal, but it’s anomaly at the government-run colleges in the state. There are 43 government-run colleges in Gujarat, and only four have a principal to oversee the proceedings.The remaining 39 have caretakers acting as principals, resulting in very little control of the authorities on the campuses.
In Ahmedabad, the state-aided Government College campus houses three institutes — The Gujarat Arts & Commerce College; The Gujarat Arts & Science College and The Gujarat Commerce College — and none of these have principals.
Yet another government-funded institute in the city — The KK Shastri College in Maninagar — also operates its science, commerce and arts colleges without principals.
‘Proper’ principals are doing duty in the government college of Gandhinagar, Nathwadi (near Vadodara), and in Ahwa and Khergaam, the rural belt.
THE PROBLEM
More than six months ago, the state education department had forwarded a list of names to the Gujarat Public Service Commission (GPSC), suggesting they be appointed as principals in state-funded colleges.
Said Hasmukh Wadia, principal secretary, state education department, “Recruitment of principals in government-run colleges is done through the GPSC. We had sent in our recommendations to them but haven’t heard from them. Yes, not having principals is a problem but the process is on. We will soon fill up the vacant posts.”
The GPSC guidelines say a principal of the government-run college must have a PhD degree, and not less than 10 years’ teaching experience. Strict guidelines like these make it difficult for the government-run colleges to get principals, as the eligible candidates seek greener pastures in private institutes.
NO CONTROL
Students at the government-run colleges say the authorities have no control over the proceedings. Youth leaders often bully around on college campuses and there’s little the faculty can do.
Said Ravindra Sharma, a first-year arts student at Gujarat College, “It’s a free-for-all at our college campus. We don’t know whom to approach with our problems as the current principal is only a caretaker. He can’t take any decision.”
Another student, Ajit Sakeria, said, “When we approach the principal, he says he is not authorised to take any decision. There are problems aplenty in government-run colleges but there’s none to solve them.”
By Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Saturday, July 18, 2009 (Ahmedabad Mirror : http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20Latest§id=2&contentid=2009071820090718032831796a58bb96c)
Students missing from classrooms is normal, but it’s anomaly at the government-run colleges in the state. There are 43 government-run colleges in Gujarat, and only four have a principal to oversee the proceedings.The remaining 39 have caretakers acting as principals, resulting in very little control of the authorities on the campuses.
In Ahmedabad, the state-aided Government College campus houses three institutes — The Gujarat Arts & Commerce College; The Gujarat Arts & Science College and The Gujarat Commerce College — and none of these have principals.
Yet another government-funded institute in the city — The KK Shastri College in Maninagar — also operates its science, commerce and arts colleges without principals.
‘Proper’ principals are doing duty in the government college of Gandhinagar, Nathwadi (near Vadodara), and in Ahwa and Khergaam, the rural belt.
THE PROBLEM
More than six months ago, the state education department had forwarded a list of names to the Gujarat Public Service Commission (GPSC), suggesting they be appointed as principals in state-funded colleges.
Said Hasmukh Wadia, principal secretary, state education department, “Recruitment of principals in government-run colleges is done through the GPSC. We had sent in our recommendations to them but haven’t heard from them. Yes, not having principals is a problem but the process is on. We will soon fill up the vacant posts.”
The GPSC guidelines say a principal of the government-run college must have a PhD degree, and not less than 10 years’ teaching experience. Strict guidelines like these make it difficult for the government-run colleges to get principals, as the eligible candidates seek greener pastures in private institutes.
NO CONTROL
Students at the government-run colleges say the authorities have no control over the proceedings. Youth leaders often bully around on college campuses and there’s little the faculty can do.
Said Ravindra Sharma, a first-year arts student at Gujarat College, “It’s a free-for-all at our college campus. We don’t know whom to approach with our problems as the current principal is only a caretaker. He can’t take any decision.”
Another student, Ajit Sakeria, said, “When we approach the principal, he says he is not authorised to take any decision. There are problems aplenty in government-run colleges but there’s none to solve them.”
