Over 75% Govt Colleges In Himachal Pradesh Function Without Principals; 119 Out Of 156 Posts Vacant

An educational institution without a principal is a building accommodating a crowd without proper management. This sad reality is in Himachal Pradesh (HP), where over 75 per cent of government colleges function without a principal. Out of the 156 government colleges in the state, 119 do not have regular principals, and 75 operate without a building.

According to RL Sharma, general secretary of the state college teachers' association, two primary positions designated as officers on special duty (OSD) at the directorate of higher education in Shimla also stand vacant.

Issues Of Faculty & Infrastructure

Despite tremendous strides in education and a literacy rate of over 80 per cent, HP is currently struggling with improving fundamental issues of faculty and infrastructure facilities. While the Old Pension Scheme and Agnipath Scheme took centre stage in the recently concluded state elections, education and its improvement got no attention or importance. It is problematic for a state that performs better than Kerela in learning outcomes.

Amarjeet Sharma, the director of higher education, said that he was aware of the issue and that the Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) had all the necessary paperwork prepared. However, they require the judge's approval to move forward as the court case is still pending. He also said that the Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission would appoint 25 principals.

Why Are Several Posts Vacant?

As of March 2022, there were 132 colleges in the state, and 24 new colleges had opened in the previous eight months, following the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 goal of increasing the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) from 26.3 per cent to 50 per cent by 2035, reported The Print.

But the state still needs to fill vacant faculty posts. One of the reasons for this gap is that no single DPC meeting had been conducted to discuss the promotion for the principal's post in the last four years. The most recent promotion occurred on July 10, 2018, when 23 teachers were elevated to regular principal positions, and 20 instructors were appointed on an officiating basis. No promotions were made after that, and numerous teachers retired without receiving any.

After taking office recently, Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu commanded the de-notification of notices for new and upgraded institutions. According to him, updated and new educational facilities were implemented without sufficient funding. At least 3,000 additional teachers would be needed to implement the multidisciplinary education system in the colleges under NEP 2020.

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