What can adequately describe the situation in the Higher Education Department of the State is the phrase confusion worse confounded. Its important components are in total disarray. Only some weeks back CAG submitted a report on the functioning of the department to the Legislative Assembly. That is a scathing criticism of the way the Department is functioning. Inability to take a decision and find pretexts for deferring or delaying it is a clear indication that inefficiency has crept into the system.
About 61 posts of Principals of Government Degree Colleges are lying vacant across the State. Associate Professors have been asked to function as In-charge Principals till these vacancies are regularly filled. The Department has followed the practice of referring these vacancies to the PSC and having set forth the norms for eligibility to the post, the PSC went forward with the process of completing the interview and selection. However, notwithstanding this, the In-charge Principals have a case. They are seeking their regularization as Principals on the basis of DPC (Departmental Promotion Committee) instead of selection by PSC. This created contradiction in the policy of the Higher Education Department and the In-charge Principals approached the court of law for justice on the basis of implementation of rules governing the case.
The court has allowed the process of selection by the PSC but has stayed declaration of successful candidates for these posts and their appointment. We will not go into the legality of the case as only the court of law is competent to deliver judgment on this matter. But what we want to highlight is the inefficiency of the Higher Education Department in not having definite and clear cut rules of promotion and recruitment. Those Associate Professors who have been asked to function as in-charge Principals have met the norms set forth by the Department to be in-charge of the college. There appears some flaw in the rules that govern this issue. Do the departmental rules apply in case of filling the gazetted posts or not is one question. Secondly, if the professors put in charge are also among the prospective candidates who will be going through the regular process of recruitment, will their specific qualifications like seniority, functioning as in charge, and academic competence etc. be taken into account as weight-age going in their favour? These technicalities should have been cleared by the department for the guidance of those who have been placed in charge Principals. We think that the court is likely to consider this aspect of the case and no injustice will be done to those who have been working as in charge for last couple of months.
In fairness to academics of the State, it is an unhealthy sign of forcing the senior professors to go to a court of law just because the administrative authorities are unable to have clear jurisdiction of the departmental promotion system. Leaving Degree Colleges headless for indefinite period will adversely affect the academic side of these colleges. Therefore the Government must approach the court to expedite the matter and announce its verdict as early as possible.
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